Biharis turn The Vvaan shows into Chhath celebration, offer thekua inside theatres

Theatrical screenings of Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia's The Vvaan across Bihar are witnessing rare cultural reverence, with viewers removing their footwear outside halls and women distributing thekua inside. The folk thriller has turned cinema auditoriums into sacred spaces.Viewers are leaving footwear outside theatres in Bihar before entering for The Vvan screening. (Credit: Top left - a still from the film, bottom left and right - Instagram video screenshots)New Delhi,Sep 30, 2026 11:05 ISTIn a rare display of cultural reverence, theatrical screenings of Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia's The Vvaan across Bihar have taken on the atmosphere of sacred spaces. Driven by the film’s deep devotional theme, moviegoers are taking off their footwear before entering auditorium halls. Adding to the ritualistic fervour, women dressed in traditional Chhath outfit have been seen distributing freshly prepared thekua to fellow audience members inside the venues.At Cine Galaxy, the historic cinema hall in Muzaffarpur, several viewers were captured leaving their shoes outside the auditorium entrance as a mark of respect — a tradition seldom witnessed inside commercial cinema halls.A central catalyst for this emotional outpouring is the film’s devotional track Chhathi Maiya, rendered in the voice of the late Padma Bhushan recipient Sharda Sinha, affectionately remembered as Bihar Kokila. Viral footage across social media shows audiences reacting with visible emotion as Sinha's voice echoes through halls.In one widely shared visual, a child in the auditorium is seen watching with folded hands during the sequence where Tamannaah Bhatia's character performs the traditional puja.Highlighting the phenomenon, trade analyst Ramesh Bala shared footage of women wearing tilaks and traditional attire clapping along to the track inside a hall. "Faith becomes the film’s emotional heartbeat... The deeply moving Chhathi Maiya sequence in #TheVvaan is striking a chord with audiences, beautifully blending devotion, emotion and belief (sic)," Bala said.Faith becomes the film’s emotional heartbeatThe deeply moving Chhathi Maiya sequence in #TheVvaan is striking a chord with audiences, beautifully blending devotion, emotion and belief.The love for the film only keeps growing. pic.twitter.com/7HOI8C8IfX— Ramesh Bala (@rameshlaus) September 25, 2026 Outside theatres, audience members across age groups have expressed praise for the film’s authentic depiction of regional faith and Chhath festivities. Helmed by director Deepak Kumar Mishra and produced by Ekta Kapoor, The Vvaan is a folk thriller that weaves supernatural fantasy, mysticism, and action.The film theatrically released on September 25, 2026 and is currently running across 1,296 shows and has collected a nett of Rs 0.23 crore today (till 10:03 am), as reported by trade tracker Sacnilk.With final figures still being compiled, the film's total domestic tally currently stands at Rs 45.08 crore nett, bringing its total India gross to Rs 53.72 crore.- Ends