'Boong' director calls for peace in ‘ignored & unpresented' Manipur in BAFTA-winning speech

From Meryl Streep’s Golden Globes speech about President Donald Trump to ‘The Big Bang Theory’ star Simon Helberg and his wife, actress Jocelyn Towne, using the SAG Awards as a platform to address the immigration ban, several celebrities across the world have used award shows to speak out on socio-political issues.

And now, in a major win for Indian cinema at the BAFTA Awards, ‘Boong’, a Manipuri-language film, won the BAFTA in the ‘Best Children’s & Family Film’ category. Director Lakshmipriya Devi used her BAFTA-winning speech to call for peace in what she described as an ‘ignored and unrepresented’ Manipur.

She began by greeting the audience in her native tongue and said, “Khurumjari! Greetings to everyone. The walk up till here felt like the last few steps to reach the summit of a mountain we never knew we were climbing in the first place. So, thank you to the jury members and BAFTA for giving our very small film such a big love. A film that is not only rooted in a place which is very troubled, very much ignored, and very unrepresented in India, my homeland, Manipur.”

Expressing hope for peace in Manipur amid the ongoing unrest and using the platform to highlight the situation back home, she added, “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 dreams once again. So, thank you, BAFTA, for giving us not only an award but this stage to express our hope. Thank you and have a wonderful evening, everyone.” Ethnic tensions in Manipur began in 2023 between the majority Meitei community and the tribal Kuki-Zo groups. Following the violence, hundreds were killed and thousands were forced to flee their homes.

‘Boong’ is produced by Farhan Akhtar alongside Vikesh Bhutani, Alan McAlex, Ritesh Sidhwani and Shujaat Saudagar. The film features performances by Gugun Kipgen and Bala Hijam. It premiered in the ‘Discovery’ section at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival and has since travelled to multiple international festivals.

The story centres on a young boy from the Manipur Valley who wants to surprise his mother with a meaningful gift. In his innocence, he believes that reuniting his family by bringing his father home would be the greatest present of all. His journey, however, leads him towards an unexpected yet hopeful new beginning. Apart from this, India also had a proud moment at the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards, with Alia Bhatt presenting an award on the global stage in Hindi.