Debutant director Lakshmipriya Devi’s Manipuri film ‘Boong’ has been nominated for the Best Children and Family Film category at the ‘BAFTA Awards 2026’. Nominations for these awards, officially known as the EE BAFTA Film Awards, are announced by the London-based British Academy. ‘Boong’, backed by actor-producers Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, competes against Disney’s hit films ‘Lilo & Stitch’ and ‘Zootopia 2’ as well as animated science fantasy film ‘Arko’. The film tells the story of a boy named Boong (Gugun Kipgen), living in a valley in Manipur, who plans to surprise his mother with a gift.
There is competition with the giants of Disney
This path of ‘Boong’ is not easy, but its simplicity is its biggest strength. The film competes with the world’s biggest hits in the list of nominations:
Lilo & Stitch (Disney)
Zootopia 2 (Disney)
Arco (animated science fantasy)
The standing of an Indian regional language film amidst these mega-budget and internationally renowned films proves that language and budget have no boundaries for a good story.
What is the story of the film ‘Boong’?
The film revolves around a little boy named ‘Boong’ (the name of the character), played by Gugun Kipgen, living in the beautiful valley of Manipur. The soul of the story is very simple and touching: Plot: Boong wants to surprise his mother by giving her a special gift. Her efforts and innocence to attain this gift take the audience on an emotional journey. This film beautifully captures the honesty of childhood, family love and the social fabric of Manipur on screen.
Support of big production houses
Seeing the quality of the film and its message, veteran Bollywood actor-producers Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani (Excel Entertainment) have lent their support to it. His addition has helped the film reach the global level. This is Lakshmipriya Devi’s directorial debut, and reaching BAFTA in her very first attempt shows her extraordinary talent.
When will the awards ceremony take place?
The eyes of the world are now fixed on 22 February 2026. The BAFTA Awards will be held at the historic Royal Festival Hall in London. Will ‘Boong’ be able to win the trophy by defeating Hollywood animated films? It will be interesting to see.