Pushtaini Movie Review : Vinod Rawat's debut film on his journey hits narrative bumps

Story: A struggling actor goes back to his home town to claim his inheritance but an unexpected turn of events, lead to a surprise road trip that changes the course of his life.

Review: Just like countless young men who arrive in Mumbai with dreams of making it big in Bollywood, Bhuppi, also known as Aaryan Shaw (played by Vinod Rawat), is facing his own struggles. He finally lands a role in a film co-starring Rajkummar Rao, but he’s too nervous to perform. Finally, Bhuppi manages to nail the scene, but before that he is threatened by his so-called friend Sumit (Nitin Goel) to release a compromising video of him, if he doesn’t pay up a ransom of 8 lakh rupees. This forces Bhuppi to return to his home town in Uttarakhand to claim his inheritance, but a lot has changed since his sudden disappearance. Now, as Bhuppi struggles to get what belongs to him, it’s not just a race against time but also time to face his past demons.

Director and co-writer Vinod Rawat, known for his role as an acting coach to Bollywood stars like Hrithik Roshan, leads this slow-burning drama. He brings a unique authenticity to the film by casting his own family members and filming in the picturesque locales around Nainital, his hometown. This grounding in reality adds depth to the story, yet the pacing often falters, leaving viewers yearning for more coherence. While Rawat manages to build some connection with the audience, the narrative is uneven and often leaves you with more questions than answers. The short duration of the film helps but the way the story progresses, it only offers a few fleeting moments of joy. A lot of times one wonders if Bhuppi’s entire situation could have been dealt differently.

Performance wise, Vinod Rawat delivers decently despite the uneven writing of the character and the story. Rita Heer is good as unpredictable and free-spirited Dimple, but her character had more scope for exploration. Hemant Pandey is impressive as the motor mouth and flirtatious small town taxi driver Hemant. The film is the strongest when these three characters are together. But the rest of the time the narrative tends to drag on, only to end in a dissatisfactory climax. It almost feels like being shortchanged for investing in characters that could have been etched out better.

The film's cinematography (by Dhawalika Singh) captures the serene beauty of Uttarakhand with a matter-of-fact elegance, though one might argue for a deeper integration of the region's atmospheric charm into the storytelling.

In essence, ‘Pushtaini’ unfolds as a deeply personal journey, constrained by its own narrative limitations. Rawat's directorial debut attempts to weave a tapestry of themes—past regrets, present struggles, and future aspirations—yet occasionally feels tangled within its own web.