Manipuri film ‘Boong’ wins BAFTA Award for Best Children & Family Film

• Manipuri movie ‘Boong’ won the prestigious British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award for Best Children’s & Family Film in London on February 22. 

• The film’s debutant director, Lakshmipriya Devi, received the award in a ceremony held at the Royal Festival Hall by the river Thames.

• She was joined on stage by producers Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani and the assistant director of ‘Boong’, Rahul Sharda. 

• The Manipuri film, starring Gugun Kipgen and Bala Hijam, beat international competition from other nominees ‘Lilo and Stitch’, ‘Arco’ and ‘Zootropolis 2’.

• The movie follows the story of a young boy named Boong, from the valley of Manipur, who plans to surprise his mother with a gift. He believes that bringing his father back home would be the most special gift. His search for his father leads to an unexpected gift – a new beginning. 

• Gugun Kipgen, Angom Sanamatum and Bala Hijam give memorable performances, and the film is filled with laugh-out-loud moments. 

• Lakshmipriya Devi had served as a first assistant director on Akhtar and Sidhwani’s Excel Entertainment movies such as ‘Luck by Chance’, and ‘Talaash’, besides Aamir Khan-starrer ‘PK’, and Mira Nair’s series, ‘A Suitable Boy’.

• Boong had its world premiere in the discovery section at the 49th edition of Toronto International Film Festival in September 2024.