For Abhiroop Basu, the primary challenge in Laali was to make something awkward believable and compelling. He insists on 'thehrav' being the cornerstone in making the short, talks about being drawn to time chronicles, the soullessness of contemporary Bengali cinema, an industry being stuck in the same references, the climate of hero worshipping in the nation and the lack of space for expression. He also shares his concerns on studio tie ups with OTTs roping in massive stars to feature in shorts and the ensuing paucity of freshness, and reminds of the necessity of learning to laugh at ourselves. He gives plentiful scoops on some exciting new projects.