Every time the debate around ballooning film budgets and impractical star demands resurfaces, a small-budget film from some corner of India emerges to challenge the system. It makes noise, wins hearts, becomes a massive success—and once again forces the industry to introspect about big-ticket projects that collapse despite massive spending. One such film is the Gujarati sleeper hit Laalo. Made on a modest budget of just Rs 1.2 crore that includes promotional budget, Laalo stunned the trade by minting nearly Rs 120 crore at the box office. After completing an impressive 90-day theatrical run in Gujarati, the film has now been released in Hindi as well. Riding high on its extraordinary success, the cast and director recently spoke to SCREEN in an exclusive interview, opening up about budget realities, star culture, and the rising costs of filmmaking. In a moment that drew laughter, they even joked about Bollywood’s vanity van culture, saying: “Hum aisa kiye toh sabse pehle papa maarenge (If we make such demands, the first one to hit us will be our fathers)!” …