The film 'The Forest' (The Van – Force of the Forest), starring Siddharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia, has attracted public attention due to its teaser. This folklore film presents a world of a mysterious temple in a dark forest, where the divine power of deities is felt. The director of the picture is Dipak Mishra, who is also known for the 'Panchayat' series.
TVF and Ekta Kapoor are producing the film. Recently, TVF founder Arunabh Kumar and director Dipak Mishra elaborated on the creation process of 'The Forest,' including the source of inspiration and the transformation of the story into a film project.
In an interview with ANI, Arunabh stated that he became interested in this story after visiting the Stin Van Devi temple near Patna. There, he spoke with local residents, priests, and villagers, learning ancient legends associated with the temple. According to the accounts, the temple was built in the 16th century, and the surrounding forest is shrouded in numerous mysterious stories. Local people believed that entry into the forest was forbidden after sunset.
He added that this tradition is still part of the local folklore. About two years ago, he told this story to Dipak, and both liked it very much. After that, they approached Ekta Kapoor with the idea of bringing it to the screen, and Ekta also felt that this story should be shown on the big screen.
Dipak Mishra emphasized the uniqueness of this story, noting that it offered an opportunity to present a plot related to villages and remote areas of the country on the big screen. To create the film, he had to recreate an entirely new world. The main character of the film is a young man from modern times who returns to his old home and roots, after which his journey of self-discovery and search for his own identity begins.
During the same conversation, Dipak Mishra admitted that creating a world matching the film's plot was a challenging task. Its depiction on screen required not just ordinary shooting equipment; animation and modern technologies, such as special effects, were actively used. The director noted that as soon as he was told this story, scenes began appearing in his mind, and this marked the beginning of the plot development along with the entire team. He stressed that the film is presented in a cinematic style, and although viewers might not notice it, many technologies and animations were employed to prepare this world and atmosphere.
The film 'The Forest' is set to release on September 25, when it will have to compete with films from South Indian and Hollywood cinema. On this day, 'Nani Ki Paradise' from South India and 'Avengers Endgame Encore' from Hollywood will be released, both of which are already generating great excitement among the public.