Actor Tamannaah Bhatia has said the Chhathi Maiya song from her upcoming film The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest has received “a lot of love”, as she spoke about discovering the traditions and cultural significance of Chhath Puja while working on the film.
Speaking at a promotional event in Delhi, Tamannaah said the makers were conscious of portraying the festival with sensitivity and respect.
“For the first time in Hindi cinema, Chhath Puja has been presented like this,” she said, adding that director Deepak Kumar Misra and writer-producer Arunabh Kumar understood the traditions associated with the festival and ensured they were carefully represented during filming.
‘Chhath stands for gratitude’
Tamannaah said what stayed with her most was the idea of gratitude at the heart of Chhath Puja.
“Chhath Puja stands for gratitude; it stands for being grateful for everything that we have, the ups and downs in life, all of it together,” she said.
She added that the makers had captured that emotion in Chhathi Maiya, which has received a positive response since its release.
The song features Tamannaah and Sidharth Malhotra and draws on the rituals and imagery associated with Chhath Puja, including devotees offering prayers to the Sun.
Tamannaah had earlier said that although she grew up in Mumbai and had seen large Chhath gatherings at Juhu beach, she knew relatively little about the rituals until she worked on the sequence.
‘Started welling up’
At the film’s trailer launch, the actor recalled learning about the rigorous 36-hour fast observed by devotees and the practice of offering prayers to both the setting and rising Sun.
She said the experience of filming the sequence unexpectedly became emotional for her.
“When I was shooting the scene, I started welling up and I don’t know why,” she said, adding that actors sometimes experience emotions while performing that go beyond what they had anticipated.
Tamannaah also described the practice of paying respect to the setting Sun as one of the aspects of the tradition that particularly struck her.
Folklore at the centre
The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest brings Tamannaah and Sidharth together on screen for the first time. The film draws on folklore and combines fantasy, adventure, mystery and humour.
Arunabh Kumar said the film seeks to remain rooted in the culture of Bihar and the Purvanchal region while presenting its folklore on a large cinematic canvas.
Directed by Deepak Kumar Misra, the film also stars Manish Paul, Shweta Tiwari, Sunil Grover and Anup Soni.
Presented by Balaji Motion Pictures in association with TVF and 11.11 Production, The Vvaan is produced by Shobha Kapoor, Ektaa R Kapoor, Arunabh Kumar and Niraj Kothari.
The film is scheduled to release in theatres on September 25.