London, Feb 23 India celebrated significantly at the BAFTA awards, with the Manipuri film "Boong" winning the Best Children's and Family Film award in a ceremony where its director, Lakshmipriya Devi, used the opportunity to express her hope for peace in her home state.
There were other Indian moments that stood out at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards held on Sunday evening. As singer Jessie Ware performed the poignant "The Way We Were", the late actor Dharmendra was honored in the In Memoriam section. Alia Bhatt presented the Best Film not in English Language award.
Produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani's Excel Entertainment, "Boong" revolves around a young boy searching for his absent father whom he wants to surprise his mother. It was the only Indian film nominated at the awards.
Last year, Payal Kapadia's "All We Imagine As Light" was nominated but didn't win.
"Boong", starring Gugun Kipgen and Bala Hijam, beat international competition from other nominees "Lilo and Stitch", "Arco" and "Zootropolis 2".
In her acceptance speech, Lakshmipriya said, "This journey has felt like reaching the summit of a mountain we didn't even know we were climbing. I want to use this opportunity to say that we pray for peace to return to Manipur."
She added, "We pray that all the internally displaced children, including the child actors in the film, regain their joy, their innocence, and their dreams once again. We pray that no conflict is ever so powerful that it destroys the one superpower that all of us have as human beings, which is forgiveness."
In a backstage interaction with reporters, she said the movie was inspired by the folk tales of her grandmother.
"I come from a very troubled state in India. Those folk tales always provided comfort. Even when there were gunshots in the distance, I felt safe with her. I wanted 'Boong' to be an urban version of her folk tales with the same kind of warmth that made you feel safe. It's also a way for me to move on from those memories of growing up in that place," Lakshmipriya said.
Producer Akhtar said he has known Lakshmipriya for two years and backing the film set in a region of India from which we rarely get to watch films "just felt right".
"Boong" was made in a language from India's Manipur — a region rich in culture and storytelling, but rarely represented internationally.
"The fact that it's being heard and celebrated here reaffirms our belief that stories don't need scale, they need soul... It's not just a win for our team, but for the many unheard voices across India," producer Sidhwani told
