Upstarts

Inside Upstarts: The Netflix Film That Captured India’s Startup Dream—and Its Chaos

Netflix’s Upstarts (2019) arrived as a rare Bollywood dramedy diving headfirst into India’s booming—but brutal—startup scene. Directed by Udai Singh Pawar, the film follows three college friends who bet everything on their entrepreneurial dreams, only to collide with the harsh realities of funding, failure, and fractured friendships. While the movie didn’t break box-office records, it became a cult favorite for its sharp, relatable portrayal of millennial ambition. Behind the scenes, the cast and crew have since peeled back layers of the film’s creation, revealing a project that mirrored its own themes: scrappy, collaborative, latestnetflix.com contends, and fueled by equal parts passion and pressure.

A Director’s Gamble on the Startup Grind

Udai Singh Pawar, a first-time feature director, staked his debut on a story that hit close to home. Before Upstarts, Pawar was a screenwriter in Mumbai, navigating the same cutthroat industry his characters would later inhabit. His personal connection to the material was clear: the film’s script, which he co-wrote, was praised for its authenticity, from the jargon-filled pitch meetings to the soul-crushing investor rejections . Pawar’s background—working in advertising and digital content—gave him insider access to the startup world’s highs and lows, a perspective he channeled into the film’s tone: equal parts hopeful and cynical.

The director’s Netflix backing (the platform distributed Upstarts globally) also signaled a shift in how Indian indie films could reach audiences. Unlike traditional Bollywood releases, Upstarts bypassed theatrical hurdles, relying instead on streaming’s growing appetite for niche stories. Pawar later called the experience a "crash course in filmmaking," hinting at the tight budgets and tight deadlines that forced the team to innovate . That scrappiness translated on-screen, where the film’s low-budget aesthetic—think cramped offices and DIY prototypes—added to its realism.

The Cast: From Auditions to Startup Pitches

The trio at Upstarts’ core—Priyanshu Painyuli, Shadab Kamal, and Chandrachoor Rai—were relative newcomers when they signed on, but their chemistry became the film’s secret weapon. Painyuli, who played the idealistic protagonist Jawahar, was already gaining traction in indie circles, while Kamal and Rai brought a mix of comedic timing and emotional depth to their roles as the pragmatic and reckless co-founders, respectively .

In interviews, the actors revealed how they prepped for their roles by immersing themselves in startup culture. Painyuli and Kamal shadowed real founders, attending pitch meetings and even drafting mock business plans to nail the lingo . Rai, meanwhile, leaned into the film’s humor, improvising some of the movie’s most viral moments—like the absurd "fake startup" pitches that later became a YouTube hit (see: the "Urine-to-Water Converter" gag) . The cast’s camaraderie off-screen mirrored their characters’ bond, with Painyuli later calling Kamal and Rai his "second family" during the shoot .

Supporting players like Rukmini Vasanth (who played a sharp-tongued investor) and Rajeev Siddhartha (as a jaded mentor) rounded out the ensemble, but it was the leads’ dynamic that anchored the film. Their on-set rapport was so strong that Netflix capitalized on it, releasing a series of promotional videos where the trio riffed on startup tropes—like guessing which "fake product" from the movie could actually work . The clips went mini-viral, giving Upstarts a second life as a meme-friendly underdog story.

The Making of a Startup Movie: Challenges and Easter Eggs

Upstarts wasn’t just about startups—it was a startup. Pawar and his team operated on a shoestring budget, shooting in real co-working spaces and using guerrilla filmmaking tactics to stretch resources. The film’s 112-minute runtime belied its lean production, with Pawar later admitting that some scenes were shot in a single take to save time . The constraints forced creativity, like the film’s signature "pitch deck" montages, which used rapid cuts and text overlays to mimic the frenetic energy of startup culture.

The movie’s authenticity extended to its cameos. Several real-life Indian entrepreneurs and investors made blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearances, including a scene where a founder pitches to a panel of actual VCs . Pawar also wove in inside jokes for tech insiders, like a throwaway line about "burn rate" that became a fan-favorite meme among Indian startup circles.

Yet for all its humor, Upstarts didn’t shy away from the darker side of entrepreneurship. The film’s climax—a brutal boardroom showdown—was reportedly inspired by Pawar’s own experiences with failed projects . The cast has since hinted that some of the movie’s most emotional scenes were improvised, with Painyuli and Kamal drawing from their personal fears of failure . That rawness resonated with audiences, particularly young Indians navigating the gig economy’s uncertainties.

Legacy: A Cult Favorite with a Bittersweet Afterlife

Five years after its release, Upstarts remains a cult favorite, often cited in lists of underrated Indian films about ambition. Its Netflix release ensured a global audience, with international viewers praising its universal themes of friendship and hustle. Yet in India, the movie’s legacy is more bittersweet. While it didn’t spawn a franchise or major awards buzz, it became a touchstone for a generation of founders who saw their own struggles reflected on-screen.

The cast has since moved on—Painyuli to bigger projects, Kamal and Rai to a mix of indie and commercial films—but they’ve occasionally revisited Upstarts in interviews, calling it a "defining project" . Pawar, meanwhile, has stayed quiet about his next steps, though rumors persist about a potential sequel or spin-off series [unconfirmed].

For now, Upstarts endures as a time capsule of India’s startup boom, a rare film that balanced humor and heartbreak without sugarcoating the grind. Its behind-the-scenes story—of a first-time director, a tight-knit cast, and a platform willing to bet on an unconventional story—might be its most authentic pitch yet.