Boong director's BAFTA winning speech is a powerful call for peace in Manipur
India Today
Boong director Lakshmipriya Devi highlighted the ongoing unrest in Manipur during her BAFTA acceptance speech, using the platform to appeal for peace and hope after her film won Best Children's and Family Film.
Director Lakshmipriya Devi's acceptance speech at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards (BAFTA) is a powerful call for peace and hope in her hometown Manipur. Scripting history, Boong won the Best Children's and Family Film award at the ceremony held at Royal Festival Hall, in London’s Southbank Centre on Sunday night. For the unaware, the film, backed by Farhan Akhtar, explores complex social dynamics along the Manipur border, and it was recognised for its impactful storytelling and its representation of Indian cinema on a global stage.
Boong surpassed other notable nominees, including productions such as Arco and Hollywood releases like Lilo & Stitch and Zootropolis 2 (Zootopia 2).
Accepting the award, Lakshmipriya Devi shared her sense of surprise and accomplishment, saying, "To walk up till here felt like the last few steps to reach a summit of a mountain we never knew we were climbing in the first place."
During her speech, Devi shifted focus to the situation in Manipur, where recent unrest has led to widespread displacement and disruption. She took the opportunity to make a heartfelt appeal, saying, "I 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."
Lakshmipriya Devi accepts the #EEBAFTAs Children’s and Family Film award for Boong pic.twitter.com/TFBnBmDVSx— BAFTA (@BAFTA) February 22, 2026
Her speech also highlighted how Manipur is often overlooked in India. She called her film that is "not only rooted in a place which is very troubled" but "very much ignored and very unrepresented in India, my homeland Manipur." "It's a homage to my homeland," she said.
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