At the 79th British Academy feature Awards (BAFTA), Farhan Akhtar’s Manipuri-language feature “Boong” took home the coveted Best Children’s & Family Film title.
“The last few steps to achieve a top of a mountain we never knew we were climbing in the first place” is how director Lakshmipriya Devi characterized the event.
As the first Indian film to win the Best Children’s and Family Film category of the BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Award, Boong made history. Laskhmipriya Devi is the director of the Manipuri movie, which Farhan Akhtar is supporting.
In addition to Jared Bush and Byron Howard’s Hollywood animated comedy, Zootropolis 2 (also known as Zootopia 2 in some markets), Boong was nominated alongside movies like Ugo Bienvenu’s French animated science fiction film Arco and Dean Fleischer Camp’s live-action animated comedy, Lilo & Stitch.
A video of Lakshmipriya Devi accepting the award was posted on the BAFTA official Instagram site. She greeted them with the customary “Kurumjari.”
The hike up to this point felt like the final few steps to the top of a mountain we had no idea we were ascending in the first place, she said. Therefore, we are grateful to the jury and BAFTA for their overwhelming support of our tiny film.
The filmmaker emphasized that the film has a strong connection to his native Manipur, which he characterized as a problematic, neglected, and underrepresented area in India.
“A film that is not only based in Manipur, my native India, a region that is extremely disturbed, neglected, and underrepresented.” It is a tribute to my native country. We wish for peace to come to Manipur, therefore I just wanted to take this chance to say that,” Devi added.
She also expressed optimism that children who were internally displaced—including the young performers in the movie—would once again experience happiness, innocence, and dreams.
We hope that all internally displaced youngsters, including the young performers in the movie, may one day rediscover their happiness, their purity, and their dreams. “We hope that no conflict would ever be so powerful that it destroys the one superpower,” she said.
The cast of Boong includes Jenny Khurai, Hamom Sadananda, Gugun Kipgen, Bala Hijam, Angom Sanamatum, Vikram Kochhar, and Nemetia Ngangbam.
On September 5, 2024, the movie made its global premiere in the Discovery section of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.
In the midst of Manipur’s social unrest, it chronicles a young boy’s sincere attempt to bring his family back together.
In his monologue, Paddington Bear announced, “I am the first-ever bear to present an award, and also the first presenter to get marmalade over a BAFTA.” He then presented the award.