Born in 1991 in Kolkatta, India, Shubhashish Bhutiani grew up in a small Himalayan town in India where he attended Woodstock School. After being heavily involved in theater he transitioned from acting to writing and directing and went to learn filmmaking at the School of Visual Arts in New York. His thesis film, KUSH, premiered at the 70th Venice Film Festival where it won the Orizzonti Prize for Best Short Film. KUSH was shortlisted at the 2014 Academy Awards and has won over 25 awards all over the globe.