Boong Wins BAFTA: Manipuri Film Creates History at British Academy Awards

Mumbai, February 23 - The Indian Manipuri-language film Boong has scripted history by winning the BAFTA Award for Best Children's & Family Film at the BAFTA Awards 2026, held in London. The landmark win marks a rare and proud moment for regional Indian cinema on one of the world's most prestigious global platforms.

Directed by Lakshmipriya Devi, Boong emerged victorious against strong international contenders, including big-budget titles like Zootopia 2, Arco, and Lilo & Stitch, underlining the universal appeal of its intimate and emotionally rooted storytelling. The film's triumph is being hailed as a breakthrough moment for films from India's Northeast.

The film follows Boong, played by Gugun Kipgen, who wants to reunite his family. He believes bringing his missing father home would make his mother, Mandakini, happy again. With the help of his best friend Raju, Boong travels to the border town of Moreh and even crosses into Myanmar in search of his father.

Backed by producers including Farhan Akhtar, Boong's BAFTA victory is now being celebrated as a defining chapter in Indian cinema's global journey, one that reinforces the growing international recognition of regional voices and culturally grounded narratives.

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