MAMI Mumbai Film Festival: Vinod Rawat’s Pushtaini garners praise

Aarya co-director Vinod Rawat’s debut feature Pushtaini which had its South Asia Premiere at the 23rd Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival strikes a special chord with the audience. The film had a sold-out premiere at the festival which was followed by a Q&A round with cast and crew members and was attended by Piyush Mishra, Shivani Raghuvanshi (of Made In Heaven), Sonal Jha (of Agra, Fire In The Mountains). 

Hrithik Roshan who launched Pushtaini trailer on Instagram called it “brilliant” and added “so many moments of the film have stayed with me” in his post. Rajkummar Rao who has done a special appearance in the film launched the poster and attended the film’s red carpet at MAMI.

Also read: Rajkummar Rao plays a cameo in Vinod Rawat’s debut feature, Pushtaini 

The film produced by Lotus Dust Pictures and VinRaw Films is Nominated for IMDB Audience Choice Award. 

The deeply personal film marks Vinod’s feature debut as an actor-director-writer-producer. Shot in Rawat’s ancestral village in Uttrakhand, the film features non-professional actors including his own family members. Rita Heer who plays a prominent character has co-written the film. 

Also read: Sarvnik Kaur’s Against The Tide to make its South Asian premiere at MAMI festival 

Vinod shot to fame with the International Emmy Awards nominated series Aarya which he co-directed with Ram Madhvani. He also wrote and directed an award-winning short film MAD. Alumni from FTII, Vinod is also a leading acting coach and has coached stars like Hrithik Roshan, Sushmita Sen, and Sonam Kapoor among others. 

Elated about the MAMI premiere response, Vinod said, “I am glad to see what was personal became so universal. The love and response we are getting from our audience, in India and abroad, is a redemption and a reward.” During the Q&A session, the filmmaker shared his journey and motivation with several young filmmakers and movie enthusiasts who were deeply moved by Pushtaini, including a young boy who recently lost his father and found the movie a fitting ode to father-son relationships.