MPHAL: The Manipur State Film Development Society (MSFDS) applauded ‘Boong’ BAFTA win, and called it a turning point for Manipuri cinema.
The Manipur State Film Development Society (MSFDS) placed on record its profound appreciation of the historic BAFTA win of Boong, the debut feature written and directed by Manipuri filmmaker Laksmipriya Devi. The acknowledgement came during the 16th Development Committee Meeting of the MSFDS, chaired by Art & Culture Commissioner H. Gyanprakash Singh and attended by senior members of the state’s film fraternity, including Oken Amakcham, Romi Meitei, Wungkakhing Makang, Kh. Kuleswar Singh, the chairman of Film Forum Manipur, along with Joint Director G. Dharma Das representing the Department of Art & Culture, and the Society’s secretary, Sunzu Bachaspatimayum.
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Hailing the film’s victory at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards in the Children and Family category, the Committee described the honour as a watershed moment for Manipuri cinema and for Indian filmmaking at large. Boong is the first Indian film to secure a BAFTA in this category—an accolade often regarded as Britain’s equivalent to the Academy Awards.
Set against the fragile emotional landscape of childhood in conflict-affected Manipur, Boong tells the tender story of a young boy navigating friendship, fear, and fractured innocence amid social unrest. With quiet realism and lyrical restraint, Laksmipriya crafts a narrative that speaks to universal childhood experiences while remaining deeply rooted in the soil of Manipur. The film’s international recognition affirms the power of regional storytelling to transcend geography and language.
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Members of the Committee noted that the achievement comes at a time when Manipur continues to grapple with social and ethnic tensions. In such a climate, Boong stands as a reminder that art can restore dignity, reframe narratives, and return global attention to the state for its creativity rather than its crises.
Chairing the meeting, the Commissioner lauded Laksmipriya’s accomplishment as bringing national glory and placing Manipur on the global cinematic map. The members collectively asserted that with focused institutional support, sustained infrastructure, and visionary policy intervention, Manipuri cinema is poised to scale greater heights. The BAFTA victory, they agreed, is not merely a personal milestone but a clarion call to strengthen the foundations of the state’s film movement.
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