47 Years After Lata Mangeshkar's Classic, Two Major Films Spotlight the Mahaparva

Almost five decades after melody queen Lata Mangeshkar immortalized devotion to Chhathi Maiya with her iconic 1979 track Mere Maathe Ka Sindoor, mainstream Hindi cinema is finally turning its spotlight toward Bihar and eastern India's grandest cultural and spiritual festival, the Mahaparva Chhath. Long confined to traditional regional folk recordings and fleeting cameo scenes, the sacred traditions and divine folklore of Chhathi Maiya are now taking center stage in two prominent upcoming Bollywood releases.Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia’s highly anticipated fantasy thriller The Vvaan: Force Of The Forest is pioneering this cultural shift, accompanied by Ayushmann Khurrana and Sharvari Wagh’s romantic drama Yeh Prem Mol Liya, marking a monumental moment where Sanatan folk reverence commands prime theatrical real estate.Dual Cinematic Tributes: From 'The Vvaan' Devotional Anthem to 'Yeh Prem Mol Liya'The celebration of Chhath Puja kicks off this cinematic wave through two distinct storytelling lenses across upcoming film schedules.In The Vvaan, Tamannaah Bhatia is seen performing traditional riverbank arghya rituals and fasting rites in the visual tapestry of the film's title devotional song, evoking pure festive grandeur. Simultaneously, the newly launched title track of Yeh Prem Mol Liya, featuring the dynamic pairing of Ayushmann Khurrana and Sharvari Wagh, builds to an emotional crescendo with both lead protagonists offering deep prayers and revering Chhathi Maiya amidst traditional earthen lamps and festive folk melodies, showing the expanding mainstream appeal of this sacred mahaparva.Mythological Thriller 'The Vvaan' Blends Folk Faith With Supernatural MysterySetting a fresh precedent in cinematic storytelling, The Vvaan: Force Of The Forest directly anchors its high-stakes plot in the divine aura of the deity, already clocking over 46 million views on its Chhathi Maiya track and surpassing 21 million trailer views on YouTube.Slated for a nationwide theatrical premiere on September 25, 2026, the film stars Sidharth Malhotra as a cynical, urban youth returning to his ancestral rural village during Chhath Puja festivities. When he disregards ancient village lore surrounding a forbidden sacred forest where the Divine Mother is believed to wander after dark, he inadvertently stirs a primordial supernatural power, forcing him onto a path of devotion and reckoning that promises to redefine mythological action fantasy for Indian audiences.