'Moment of immense joy': PM Narendra Modi congratulates Boong team after BAFTA win

On Sunday, Indian Manipuri film Boong made history as it won a BAFTA award, becoming the first Indian film to win the prestigious honor. This recognition is something Indian cinema has long deserved. Hours after the movie won the British award, which is often seen as the Academy Award of Britain, PM Narendra Modi wished the team.

In his message shared on X, the Prime Minister lauded the filmmakers. Directed by Lakshmipriya Devi, the film has been produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Excel Entertainment and has been nominated in the Best Children’s and Family Film category.

Resharing the BAFTA post, Modi wrote in a X, ‘’Congratulations to all those associated with this film. This is indeed a moment of immense joy, especially for Manipur. It also highlights the immense creative talent in our nation."

Boong won the award beating movies such as Ugo Bienvenu's animated science fiction French film Arco, Dean Fleischer Camp's American science fiction comedy Lilo & Stitch and Jared Bush-Byron Howard's Zootropolis (Zootopia) 2.

It was a proud moment for India, particularly for Manipur, when the film Boong won Best Children’s and Family Film at the BAFTA.

In her winning speech at the BAFTAs, Boong director Lakshmipriya Devi said the film and the win was a homage to her home state, Manipur, which is ‘ignored and unrepresented’ in India.

“Thank you to the jury members and BAFTA for giving our very small film such big love, a film that is rooted in a very troubled, very much ignored and very underrepresented in India, my homeland, Manipur. It's a homage to my homeland,” said Devi. Released in India in Sept 2024, the movie opened to critical acclaim. The movie stars Gugun Kipgen and Bala Hijam in the lead roles.

“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,” she added.