Chhathi Maiya Song: Does Tamannaah Bhatia's The Vvaan Get Chhath Puja Right?

The newly released Chhathi Maiya song from Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia's upcoming film The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest brings the traditions of Chhath Puja into a mainstream Bollywood setting. While the song captures the festival's devotional mood, some elements of its visual presentation differ from traditional practices followed in Bihar and Jharkhand.

Chhath Puja is a four-day festival centred on fasting, discipline, devotion and gratitude towards the Sun. On the third and fourth days, devotees gather at rivers, ponds and other water bodies to offer arghya to the setting and rising Sun. Some families have also created temporary arrangements, including pools on terraces, when access to a water body is difficult.

The song attempts to recreate the atmosphere of a Chhath ghat on a large cinematic scale. Composed and sung by Vishal Mishra, it uses a devotional sound and a chorus that evokes the traditional Chhath songs commonly heard in homes and at ghats during the festival.

One of the most recognisable elements is the bamboo soop, traditionally used to carry Chhath offerings. However, people familiar with the ritual pointed out differences in how the baskets are handled. Traditionally, devotees may carry the prepared offerings towards the water body, with the soop becoming part of the ritual as devotees enter the water for prayers.

The clothing also appears more cinematic than traditionally specific. Tamannaah and the other women are predominantly shown wearing red sarees, while the seedha pallu style, with the saree covering the head, is commonly associated with Chhath. Red is certainly not prohibited, but the uniform use of the colour gives the sequence a strongly choreographed Bollywood appearance.

Another detail that drew attention was the presentation of the offerings. The soop shown in the song includes a peeled coconut, whereas coconuts used during Chhath are generally offered with their outer husk intact. The absence of gagar nimbu, also known as pomelo, was another noticeable difference, as the fruit is commonly included among Chhath offerings in Bihar and eastern India.

The song also places greater visual emphasis on women, while men are barely visible. In reality, men also observe the Chhath fast and participate in the rituals.

Despite these creative liberties, the song succeeds in communicating several central aspects of the festival. Devotion, purity, discipline and gratitude form the core of Chhath, which is dedicated to the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya. The visuals of devotees near the water, soops, offerings and arghya establish the festival's identity for viewers.

The devotional lyrics focus on faith, surrender and seeking blessings, while the chorus comes closest to the sound and emotional quality of traditional Chhath geet. For people who grew up listening to such songs during the festival, that element may feel particularly familiar.

The main difference is that the real festival is less about spectacle and more about personal devotion and community participation. Over four days, devotees follow strict rituals involving bathing, fasting and preparation of offerings before gathering at water bodies for evening and morning prayers.

As a result, the perfectly arranged groups, coordinated costumes and choreographed movements in Chhathi Maiya are more representative of a cinematic interpretation than a documentary-style depiction of Chhath.

The song nevertheless brings a festival deeply associated with Bihar and eastern India to a wider Hindi-film audience. Its creators have also positioned it as an effort to showcase Bhojpuri music, Bihar's culture, traditions and regional identity to mainstream audiences.

Ultimately, Chhathi Maiya works more effectively as a Bollywood interpretation of Chhath than as an exact recreation of every ritual detail. It captures the festival's broader spirit and visual language, while taking creative liberties that audiences familiar with traditional Chhath may notice.