Making your first film is tough, more so when it doesn’t fit the template of mainstream fare. But Vinod Rawat, Hrithik Roshan’s long-standing acting coach, was certain that Pushtaini—which tells the story of an aspiring actor in Mumbai, who takes a life-altering journey back home to Uttarakhand—would be made.

“When I pitched the script to people around, they didn’t react positively. I understand it, because Pushtaini doesn’t have the familiar tropes of a Hindi film,” says the actor-director, who also served as a co-writer.

Tired of rejections, Rawat headed to Uttarakhand in 2020 to shoot with the available resources, and found like-minded collaborators along the way.

“Director of photography, Mitesh Mirchandani, said, ‘Tell me the camera and lenses you want, you will have it for free.’ There were a lot of people who helped me,” he says.

A constant source of support was Roshan, whom he has coached since Kaabil (2017). While Roshan has come on board as Pushtaini’s presenter, Rawat reveals the superstar had offered him financial support when he had run short of money to complete the film. The actor-filmmaker, however, turned it down.

“I thought accepting that would be taking an easy way out. I have a feeling that had I taken the support, this film wouldn’t have turned out the way it has because then there’d be the pressure of a name associated with Pushtaini. Hrithik would tell me, ‘Do what you want to.’ But it would [play] at the back of my mind.”

Today, Roshan proudly endorses the latest release. “Hrithik made me cut the trailer at least 12 times. I was wondering, ‘Why is he spending so much time on it?’ But I realize it’s a learning.”