Mumbai, February 23 – The Manipuri-language film "Boong," backed by Farhan Akhtar, won the prestigious Best Children's & Family Film award at the 79th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA). Its director, Lakshmipriya Devi, described the moment as "the final steps to reach the summit of a mountain we never knew we were climbing in the first place."
"Boong" was competing against international titles such as Arco, Lilo & Stitch, and Zootropolis 2.
The official Instagram page of BAFTA shared a video of Lakshmipriya Devi accepting the award. She began with "Kurumjari," a traditional greeting.
She added: "The journey up until this point felt like the final steps to reaching the summit of a mountain we never knew we were climbing. So, thank you to the jury members and BAFTA for giving our small film so much love."
The director emphasized that the film is deeply rooted in his homeland, Manipur, a region he described as troubled, overlooked, and underrepresented in India.
"This film is rooted in a place that is troubled, largely overlooked, and underrepresented in India, my homeland, Manipur. It is a tribute to my homeland. So, I want to use this opportunity to say that we pray for peace to return to Manipur," Devi said.
She also expressed hope that internally displaced children, including the young actors who starred in the film, would regain their joy, innocence, and dreams.
"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 formidable enough to destroy the one superpower," she concluded.
"Boong" stars Gugun Kipgen, Bala Hijam, Angom Sanamatum, Vikram Kochhar, Nemetia Ngangbam, Jenny Khurai, and Hamom Sadananda. The film had its world premiere at the Discovery section of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival on September 5, 2024.
It tells the story of a young boy's heartfelt quest to reunite his family amidst social tensions in Manipur.
