Sidharth Malhotra has once again put his ability to front a theatrical film under the spotlight. His new film -- The Vvaan - Force of the Forrest, which released on September 25, registered global box office collections at 9.60 crore.

With Vvaan, Malhotra marks yet another strong box office opening, adding another chapter to a box-office track record that has included several strong first-day starts. His biggest opening remains Ek Villain, which opened at 16.43 crore nett according to Box Office India, followed by Brothers at 13.04 crore. Student of the Year opened at 7.52 crore, while Marjaavaan, Kapoor & Sons registered first-day figures of 7.09 crore and 6.58 crore respectively.

What makes Vvaan a different proposition is that Malhotra is carrying a world that is markedly different from the conventional urban dramas and romances with which he has previously been associated. The film places him in a folklore-driven fantasy universe, with his character becoming the audience’s entry point into the mythology surrounding the forbidden forest.

The opening has also kept the conversation around the actor’s solo pull alive, particularly as Vvaan is not riding on an established franchise. It is an original world, built around folklore, fantasy, romance and action, with Malhotra positioned at its centre.

The actor’s screen image also gets a fresh canvas here. His look, physicality and action work fit the larger-than-life setting, while the film gives him room to move beyond the straight-faced action-hero mould through romance, humour and his camaraderie with the ensemble.

That versatility has been a recurring feature of Malhotra’s career. From the coming-of-age appeal of Student of the Year and the romantic drama of Kapoor & Sons to the action-heavy Ek Villain, Brothers and Marjaavaan, his theatrical outings have repeatedly placed him in different commercial spaces.

With Vvaan, the actor is now attempting something considerably more rooted in Indian folklore. The film's opening gives the industry an early indication of the audience interest in that experiment, while the focus shifts to the weekend and whether audience word-of-mouth can translate into growth over the next two days.

For Malhotra, however, the larger takeaway is clear -- Vvaan is another solo-led theatrical outing in which he is required to carry an entirely new cinematic world and he has proven his box office mettle yet again!