The Vvaan Sparks Chhath Fervour in Bihar: Viewers Remove Shoes, Offer Thekua Inside Theatres

By Kushinara M D. | Entertainment Bureau

New Delhi Chronicle | Updated: September 30, 2026

In an unprecedented display of cultural reverence, theatrical screenings of Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia’s latest folk thriller, The Vvaan, have turned cinema auditoriums across Bihar into sacred spaces. Deeply touched by the movie’s traditional themes, audience members are taking off their shoes outside the halls and offering traditional festival sweets during showtimes.

Cinema Halls Transformed into Sacred Spaces

The ongoing theatrical run of The Vvaan across single-screen and multiplex venues in Bihar is witnessing scenes rarely associated with commercial Bollywood cinema. Driven by the film’s authentic portrayal of regional faith, moviegoers in several districts are voluntarily taking off their footwear before stepping into auditorium halls.

Adding to the devotional mood, women dressed in traditional attire have been spotted distributing freshly made thekua—the sacred delicacy prepared during Chhath Puja—to fellow filmgoers inside movie halls.

At the historic Cine Galaxy cinema in Muzaffarpur, widespread viral videos captured rows of shoes placed neatly outside auditorium doors as patrons entered with folded hands to watch the folk thriller.

Late Sharda Sinha’s Devotional Track Drives Emotional Response

A central catalyst behind this emotional outpour is the film’s devotional track, Chhathi Maiya, rendered by the late Padma Bhushan recipient Sharda Sinha, affectionately known as Bihar Kokila. Audiences across demographic groups have responded with visible devotion when Sinha’s iconic voice plays during key sequences.

Viral clips circulating on social media show audience members watching with folded hands, while others clap along in rhythm. In one widely shared clip, a young viewer is seen praying during a scene where Tamannaah Bhatia’s character performs traditional ritualistic prayers on screen.

Trade analyst Ramesh Bala took to social media to highlight the cultural phenomenon, sharing footage of women wearing traditional tilaks and singing along in auditoriums.

“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,” Bala observed.

About The Vvaan

Directed by Deepak Kumar Mishra and produced under Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Motion Pictures, The Vvaan is a folk thriller blending supernatural fantasy, regional folklore, and high-octane action. Since its theatrical release on September 25, 2026, the film has drawn strong box-office traction across northern circuits, buoyed by its deep resonance with regional audiences.