Arya's co-director Vinod Rawat's debut film 'Pushtaini' created a stir at the 23rd Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2023

The 23rd Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival has ended, but in this festival, the South Asia Premiere of director Vinod Rawat's film 'Pushtaini' was held in South Asia Focus and the film was highly appreciated by the audience. The film's director Vinod Rawat is also the co-director of the popular web series "Arya". The cast of this film includes Piyush Mishra, Shivani Raghuvanshi (Made in Heaven), Sonal Jha (Agra, Fire in the Mountains) and Raj Kumar Rao.

While launching the trailer of 'Pushtaini' on Instagram, Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan wrote - "Brilliant...many moments of the film stayed with me".

The film “Pushtaini” is the story of Bhuppi, a struggling Bollywood actor who finds himself embroiled in a shameful scam and is desperate to secure his last chance at stardom. Yes! A struggling Bollywood actor is plunged into deep despair when he finds himself embroiled in a shameful scam. In a race to save his reputation and his last chance at stardom, he is forced to travel to his ancestral home in the mountains of Uttarakhand to seek help from his estranged family. Bhuppi travels through the mountains and shares adventures with strangers. However, the trip turns into an adventure with Bhuppi rekindling old relationships and making new friends in the process. 'Pushtaini' is a drama about a working-class father and his son Bhuppi and how they navigate notions of masculinity and family dynamics.

This deeply personal film marks Vinod's debut as an actor, director, writer and producer. the film is Shot in Rawat's native village in Uttarakhand, the film features non-professional actors including his family members. Rita Heer, who plays a lead character, has co-written the film.

Vinod rose to fame with the International Emmy Award nominated series Arya, which he co-directed with Ram Madhvani. He also wrote and directed an award-winning short film ‘Mad’. Vinod Rawat grew up between a working-class neighborhood in Delhi and his native village in the mountains of Uttarakhand. After graduating from the Film and Television Institute (FTII), he has worked continuously in the industry as a casting director, actor, director and writer. Vinod is known as one of the leading acting trainers in the industry and has trained other stars like Hrithik Roshan. He was the casting director and acting coach of the film 'Titli', which premiered in 'Un Certain Regard' at the Cannes Film Festival. He founded Vinraw Films, a Mumbai-based film production house.

Actor, writer and director Vinod Rawat, excited by the praise his film received at the Jio Mami Film Festival, says, “I am happy to see that what was personal has become so universal. The love and response we are getting from our audiences in India and abroad is a redemption and reward.”

Rita Heer, the film's co-writer and actor, says, "Honestly, I was stunned by the response, people were crying and laughing at my character, including many young women who were referred to as 'Dimples. ''Feeled flexible and inspiring. I am grateful for this opportunity and look forward to bringing the same energy to my future roles.”

Ankit Gandhi, producer of the film ‘Pushtaini’, says, “We have expressed hope and resilience through Pushtaini and taken the first step towards Lotus Dust Pictures’ vision of championing unique voices. I am grateful for the trust of my viewers.”