Her Manipuri-language coming-of-age film Boong won the Best Children’s & Family Film award on Sunday, beating high-profile international contenders including Zootopia 2, Lilo & Stitch and the French sci-fi film Arco. It is the first Indian film to win a Bafta in this category.
But beyond the cinematic milestone, it was Devi’s acceptance speech that resonated deeply back home.
A Spotlight on Manipur
Accepting the award from Paddington Bear, Devi described Boong as rooted in “a place that’s very troubled, very much ignored and very under-represented in India — my homeland, Manipur.”
The northeastern Indian state of Manipur has been gripped by ethnic tensions and violence since May 2023. Clashes between the Meitei majority and Kuki-Zo communities over issues of identity, land and political representation have left more than 260 people dead and tens of thousands displaced. Entire communities remain largely segregated as negotiations and rehabilitation efforts continue.
Although Boong wrapped filming before the violence erupted, its international recognition comes at a time when Manipur is still grappling with the aftermath of the conflict.
On the Bafta stage, Devi offered a prayer:
“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 super power that all of us have as human beings — that is forgiveness.”
Her words have since been widely shared and praised across India.
A Child’s Journey, A State’s Story
At its heart, Boong tells the story of Brojendro “Boong” Singh, a mischievous schoolboy played by 12-year-old Gugun Kipgen. Boong lives with his mother in Imphal, Manipur’s capital. His father, who left to run a furniture shop in Moreh — a border town near Myanmar — has stopped contacting the family.
Refusing to accept rumours of his father’s death, Boong sets out to bring him home as a “gift” for his mother. Joined by his best friend Raju, he embarks on a journey that unfolds with the simplicity of a childhood tale — yet carries the weight of history.
Devi previously said she wanted the film to open like a grandmother’s story: “Once upon a time, there was a boy named Boong.”
Told through a child’s perspective, the film delicately touches on long-standing ethnic tensions, migration, militarisation and political suspicion in a state that shares a sensitive border with Myanmar. A review in The Hollywood Reporter India noted that the film “trusts its personal story to convey the history of a place without exoticising it,” and reminds viewers that its characters are “humans before they’re Manipuri, Hindu, invisibilised or Indian.”
The casting itself carries symbolic weight. Gugun Kipgen, who plays Boong, belongs to the Kuki-Zo community but portrays a Meitei character. Boong’s best friend Raju is from the Marwari community — migrants originally from western Rajasthan who are often perceived as outsiders in the northeast.
Breaking Barriers for Northeastern Cinema
Despite acclaim at international festivals, Boong initially received limited mainstream attention in India. Independent films often struggle with distribution, and productions from northeastern states face additional hurdles due to smaller domestic markets and limited integration into the country’s dominant Hindi-language film industry.
The film’s journey was strengthened by backing from Excel Entertainment, co-founded by Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar and producer Ritesh Sidhwani. Speaking to Deadline after the win, Akhtar said he had known Devi for nearly two decades and felt compelled to support a story from a region “where [there are] very few films that we get to watch.”
Boong premiered in the Discovery section of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival and was later screened at major platforms including the Warsaw International Film Festival, the International Film Festival of India, the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival and the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. It had a limited theatrical release in India in September last year.
 |
| Filmmaker Lakshimipriya Devi (right) with Farhan Akhtar (left) and Paddington Bear during the Bafta film awards at the Royal Festival Hall |
The Bafta win has triggered a wave of congratulatory messages from across India’s political spectrum.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the award as “a moment of immense joy, especially for Manipur,” praising the film for highlighting “the immense creative talent in our nation.”
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote on X that the film “has created history” and that its team “have made the whole nation proud.”
Manipur’s newly sworn-in Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh called it a proud moment for both the state and the country. The official government account echoed Devi’s words, describing Boong as “more than a film — it is a tribute to a homeland that remains resilient despite hardship.”
Beyond the Trophy
For many in India, the significance of Boong lies not only in its Bafta triumph but in the visibility it brings to under-represented stories from the northeast — a region often marginalised in national discourse.
In using the global stage to speak about internally displaced children and the power of forgiveness, Lakshmipriya Devi transformed a celebratory moment into a plea for healing.
As accolades continue to pour in, Boong stands as both a cinematic milestone and a reminder that even in times of division, storytelling can humanise, connect and — perhaps — open the door to reconciliation.