For this project, we began by reaching out directly to Buddhist monasteries at Swayambhunath Temple, aiming to find a young boy resembling the Dalai Lama in his early years to portray his reincarnation and missing childhood. Although it seemed simple at first, casting proved challenging. Our initial choice, a young boy from the monastery, bore a resemblance but wasn’t able to perform as we’d envisioned.

Fortunately, my friend Nima Sherpa introduced us to her 5-year-old cousin, Jigme Sherpa, who turned out to be an ideal fit in every way. While Jigme was naturally energetic and talented, keeping his energy high during filming required patience and creativity. Working with a young child taught me valuable lessons, and we drew on classic techniques inspired by Satyajit Ray to guide his performance. The cast was further enriched by the talents of my friends Binaya, Yok Limbu, and Yok's father, who took on the role of the master.

My heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported and believed in me throughout this journey.

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