Farhan Akhtar's Boong Wins At BAFTA

Boong was the only Indian nominee at the ceremony and the first Indian film to win the Best Children and Family Film award.

India had a reason to celebrate at the BAFTAs 2026 as Boong, a Manipuri-language debut feature, won the Best Children and Family Film award, marking a significant moment for Indian cinema on the global stage.

As celebrations followed the big win, Producer Farhan Akhtar reflected on what drew him to the project in the first place. Speaking about his long association with director Lakshmipriya Devi, Farhan mentioned familiarity, trust, and a story that simply felt 'right'.

He shared that he had known Lakshmipriya for nearly two decades and that the film, being set in a region rarely seen on the big screen, made backing the project feel natural.

'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,' he said.

Boong, The Manipur Film That Won A BAFTA

'We pray for peace to return to Manipur'

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.

'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,' Lakshmipriya Devi said.

'Just want to use this opportunity to say that we pray for peace to return to Manipur, we pray that all the internally displaced children, including the child actors in the film, regain their joy, their innocence and their dream once again.

'We pray that no conflict is ever formidable enough to destroy the one superpower that all of us have as human beings, that is forgiveness. So, thank you BAFTA for giving us not only an award but this stage to express our hope.'

Boong: First Indian film to win BAFTA in this category

Boong was the only Indian nominee at the ceremony and has now become the first Indian film to win in this category.

Boong is directed by Lakshmipriya Devi and produced by Farhan Akhtar, along with Vikesh Bhutani, Alan McAlex, Ritesh Sidhwani and Shujaat Saudagar.

Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani, Lakshmipriya Devi and Alan McAlex were present at the event held at London's Royal Festival Hall to receive the award.

The film competed with popular international films Zootopia 2, Lilo & Stitch and Arco for the BAFTA.

It first premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival in the Discovery section. It was later screened at many global film events, 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.

What Boong is about

Starring Gugun Kipgen and Bala Hijam, the story revolves around 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.

Manipuri filmmaker Lakshmipriya Devi worked as an assistant director on some of Excel Entertainment films like Lakshya, Luck by Chance, Talaash, and the OTT series Dahaad.

Before she made her first feature film Boong, she had also served as an AD to Raju Hirani (PK) and Mira Nair (A Suitable Boy).

Her association with Excel led to Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani produce her Manipuri film.

"When my father passed away, I spent quite a bit of time in Manipur, and there were so many things that came back to me. Initially, I wrote not to make a film or anything. I just wanted it out of my system," Lakshmipriya Devi tells Rediff, in this interesting interview.

With inputs from ANI and PTI

Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff