A glorious chapter was written for Indian cinema at the British Academy Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards 2026 held at the Royal Festival Hall, London. Manipuri film ‘Boong’ produced by Excel Entertainment (Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani) has captivated the world by winning the prestigious BAFTA Award in the category of ‘Best Children and Family Film’.
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Lakshmipriya Devi, who is trying her hand in the field of direction for the first time with this film, made an emotional appeal for peace in Manipur while accepting the award. He received this award from Paddington Bear, the main character of ‘Paddington the Musical’. Producers Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani and assistant director Rahul Sharda were present with him on the stage.
“Reaching here felt like reaching the top of a mountain we never knew we could climb,” Devi said. She wished that peace returns to Manipur and that displaced children, including the film’s child actors, find their happiness and dream again. The film starring Gugun Kipgen and Bala Hijam won the coveted title, beating films like ‘Lilo & Stitch’, ‘Arco’ and ‘Zootropolis 2’.
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The 2026 edition of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards was held at the Royal Festival Hall on the banks of the River Thames. Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt presented the ‘Best Film Not in English Language’ award for ‘Sentimental Value’. Starting his speech with ‘Namaste’, he said that cinema has real emotions. Leonardo DiCaprio starrer ‘One Battle After Another’ took home the maximum number of awards at the ceremony, with six.
BAFTA President Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton also attended the ceremony as chief guests. Ghost-based film “Sinners” and mystery horror film “Frankenstein” won three awards each.
Paul Thomas Anderson was named best director for “One Battle After Another.” Jessie Buckley won best actress for “Hamnet”, while Robert Aramayo won best actor for “I Swear”. He won the award by defeating stars like Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothee Chalamet.