Chhathi Maiya, the latest song from Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia starrer The Vvaan, tries to do what mainstream Hindi cinema has largely shied away from. It places Chhath and its rituals at the centre of a song instead of using the festival merely as visual decoration. Tamannaah performs the Chhath Puja in the song as Sidharth’s character slowly starts blending into her faith journey. Bollywood has included festivals like Diwali, Holi, Durga Puja, Ganesh Chaturthi and Karva Chauth in umpteen sequences. However, Chhath Puja, one of the most important festivals for millions in Bihar, Jharkhand, eastern Uttar Pradesh and the wider Purvanchal community, has seldom received the same cinematic attention. This makes the 3.5-minute devotional song one of a kind.
