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BAFTA 2026: Farhan Aktar backed Manipuri film Boong wins Best Children’s and Family Film Award
India wins big at BAFTA 2026. Director Laxmipriya Devi received the trophy for her film. Alia Bhatt also presented an award at the global platform.
The BAFTAs 2026 has been a successful event for Indian cinema. While Alia Bhatt made her debut at the international platform as a presenter, Farhan Akhtar-backed film Boong won the Best Children’s and Family Film award. Read on for more details!
Farhan Akhtar-backed film Boong wins big at BAFTA 2026
The 79th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) was held on Sunday, February 22, 2026, in London. At the event, several movies were bestowed with the prestigious award. Among them is an Indian film that won big. Directed by Laxmipriya Devi, the Manipuri language movie titled Boong was bestowed with the award for Best Children's and Family Film at BAFTA 2026. Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s production house, Excel Entertainment, bankrolled the coming-of-age drama film.
To receive the trophy, Laxmipriya Devi took over the podium and was accompanied by Farhan and Ritesh. Devi began her speech by greeting the audience in her native language. She further expressed that the walk up to the stage to receive the global award felt like the final few steps to the summit of a mountain that the team never knew they were climbing.
She thanked the jury members of BAFTA for giving their “small film such big love.” Talking about her creation, she said that the movie is not only rooted in a place that is troubled, ignored, and underrepresented in India. Paying homage to her homeland, Manipur, she prayed for peace to return to the Indian state.
About Boong
Boong is a 2024 movie penned and helmed by Devi. It tells the story of a schoolboy named Boong who braves through conflicts and racial tensions in Manipur to reunite his family. The movie stars actors like Gugun Kipgen, Bala Hijam, Angom Sanamatum, Vikram Kochhar, Nemetia Ngangbam, Jenny Khurai, and Hamom Sadananda.
Before its BAFTA win, the film had its world premiere at the Discovery section of the Toronto International Film Festival on September 5, 2024. The movie was released in select cinemas on September 19, 2025.
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