Pushtaini director Vinod Rawat details his journey – floor manager at McDonald’s, theater days with Rajkummar Rao to Hrithik Roshan’s acting coach

Vinod Rawat talks about his journey to make Pushtani and being an acting coach to Hrithik Roshan.

Vinod Rawat talks about his journey to make Pushtani and being an acting coach to Hrithik Roshan.

Two years after Hrithik Roshan's smashing debut Kaho Na Pyaar Hai released, Vinod Rawat was working at a McDonald's outlet in New Delhi. He was a floor manager, who would spend his night shifts mimicking Bollywood actors. He never dreamt of becoming an actor, let alone be in the film industry in any capacity. But last Friday, his film Pushtaini released theatrically and one of the most magical aspects of the journey, Rawat says, is that the movie was presented by Hrithik Roshan himself.

Vinod has been associated with Hrithik as an acting coach since the superstar's acclaimed 2017 film Kaabil and has worked with him on Super 30, Vikram Vedha, War and this year's Fighter.

"A lot of people are supporting me in a manner I never expected, including Hrithik. The faith they have entrusted, I know I have to live up to it," Vinod said as he sat down to chat with Indianexpress.com about Pushtani, which marks his feature debut as an actor, director, writer and producer. The film also has a special appearance by Rajkummar Rao, who was with Vinod when he quit his job at McDonald's and joined a theater group.

Born and raised in Kidwai Nagar in South Delhi, Vinod Rawat's roots are in Uttarakhand, where he based Pushtani--a moving father-son story. His father--a 10th fail by education-- was a driver in Ministry of Rural Development. There was no "movie culture" in the small two-bedroom house, but Vinod always wanted to do more, dream big.

So, after he failed his 12th standard exams, started selling computer peripherals on the streets of Delhi. After he cleared his education through correspondence, he got into the fast-food joint, which he described as his "true college".

"I started as a crew member and then I became a floor manager around 2002-04. Which meant I was no more a cap-guy, it is a job upgrade, one could handle stores after that. I was there for two years, and I only did night shifts.  No one in my family is associated with acting but I would mimic 30 actors and at least 10 cartoon characters.

"My favourites were Johny Lever and Johny Walker, not Naseeruddin Shah or Dev Anand. My father was 10th fail, my mother uneducated, so there was no film culture at all. We didn't even have TV for the longest, so we would watch it through windows of others and dance."

At McDonalds, Vinod had a crew member, who would mimic with him. But one day, he just left. The filmmaker was devasted as he started missing their mimicry session, but a month later, his colleague resurfaced, narrating him tales of vibrant Delhi theater. Something "stirred" in Vinod, who decided to "quit everything" and take a plunge in acting. So, from Rs 25,000 a month, he came down to Rs 500-- the figure he would earn per month doing theater.

"It was in Kshitij Theatre Group in Mayur Vihar that I met Rajkummar Rao! In a way, he is my mentor. He got into FTII and once he came back, he got the form for me, explained me the procedure He moved to Mumbai before me and helped me even with housing, where to stay!"

Vinod Rawat and Rajkummar Rao in a still from the film.

Vinod Rawat and Rajkummar Rao in a still from the film. (Photo: PR handout)

Hrithik Roshan with Vinod Rawat.

Hrithik Roshan with Vinod Rawat. (Photo: PR handout)

Vinod said Rajkummar and him were two young boys, cruising on the Srikanth Bolla actor's "cool" bike in Delhi, exchanging plans on how to make it big in Bollywood. But Vinod learnt the hard way, that dreaming in Delhi is different than surviving in Mumbai.

"When I came to Mumbai, I realised how difficult it was. I would be told 'not fit' for every other project. I knew I could survive here like this for six months. In Love Sex Aur Dhoka, I played 'Goon one', who comes to intimidate Rajkummar Rao! I was so happy because on day one I didn't get my shot but I was paid Rs 1,110. Then when my shot came, I got Rs 2,200. But after that I had no work. I did small parts in Hansal Mehta's Shahid and City Lights.

"Then I started assisting Atul Mongia in casting. That's where I learnt a lot, how to act from 'self', from the core. There I had taken the audition of Vikrant Massey for Lootera. It opened a new world but there was also loads of jealousy! Everyone would say, 'You could've done this better' but I would think then what's wrong with me. But I realised everyone has their own journey and you can't fight it."

It was through his casting workshops that led Hrithik Roshan to Vinod, as the superstar was impressed with Sonam Kapoor's act in Neerja, a film Vinod was associated with.

"One day when Anil Kapoor sir and Hrithik met, where he said he loved Sonam in Neerja and asked how did she do it. Then Anil sir spoke about me. Now, Hrithik has the constant urge to explore. He is hungry to learn. So he called me the next day. He wanted to talk, learn. It was a fantastic meeting. That time he was finishing the dubbing of Mohenjo-daro and gave me the script of Kaabil. That's how we started."

Though Hrithik has since been a part of several hits where his acting was also praised, Vinod says there is no definitive "process" of being an acting coach.

"It keeps changing from person to person. I prefer to sense a person, that works for me. Sometimes I rely on tools, and other times I listen to what he is saying, realise that he is right and just present him an option number two. What matters is, if he can enjoy in a workshop, because that translates in the energy on-screen."

Pushtaini, which had its South Asia premiere at the 2023 Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, also features non-professional actors including Rawat's own family members. The film is co-written by Rita Heer, who also plays a prominent character in the film.

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