Aliz Ghimire came to Elephants in the Fog with experience in makeup, set design and styling. In an interview published by the Asia Pacific Transgender Network on 5 November, she traces the route from that work to playing Apsara.

A role in a friend's short film led to an audition invitation from director Abinash Bikram Shah. Ghimire says she had doubts, then became more certain after learning about the story and attending a workshop.

What caught her attention was a script invested in trans people's lives. Ghimire, who describes herself as a trans woman, says earlier portrayals she had seen often made trans people comic relief, villains or sex workers. She welcomed the care taken with this story.

Apsara is the daughter figure in a chosen family; Pushpa Thing Lama plays her mother figure, Pirati. Fridae has reported Lama's Asia Pacific Screen Awards recognition. Ghimire's account turns to another part of making the film: finding a character she wanted to play.