Imphal: Manipuri comedy-drama ‘Boong’ won the prestigious BAFTA Award for Best Children’s & Family Film in London on Sunday, marking a significant moment for Indian cinema on the global stage.
Produced by Farhan Akhtar’s Excel Entertainment, Boong was the only Indian nominee at the ceremony and has now become the first Indian film to win in this category.
The film’s debutant director, Lakshmipriya Devi, made an emotional plea for peace in her acceptance speech after receiving the coveted trophy from Paddington Bear, the lead character starring in the West End show ‘Paddington The Musical’.
She was joined on stage by producers Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani and the assistant director of ‘Boong’, Rahul Sharda.
“Lakshmipriya Devi and I have known each other for about 20 years. This film is set in a region of India from which we rarely get to watch films. It was nice to support that as well, and it’s a very heartwarming story. So, it just felt right,” Akhtar said.
“The walk up till here felt like the last few steps to reach a summit of a mountain we never knew we were climbing in the first place,” said Devi.
The film revolves around the story of a young boy named Boong from Manipur. He plans to surprise his mother with a special gift. In his innocent mind, he believes that bringing his missing father back home would be the best gift. His search slowly changes his life and leads to an unexpected new beginning.
Boong competed with popular international films such as Zootopia 2, Lilo & Stitch, and Arco and still managed to win the award.
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The film had its world premiere in the Discovery section of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival and subsequently travelled to several prominent global platforms, including the Warsaw International Film Festival 2024, the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024, the International Film Festival of India, and the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2025.
