‘Boong’ director requires peace in ‘ignored & unpresented’ Manipur in BAFTA-winning speech

From Meryl Streep’s Golden Globes speech about President Donald Trump to ‘The Massive Bang Concept’ star Simon Helberg and his spouse, actress Jocelyn Towne, utilizing the SAG Awards as a platform to deal with the immigration ban, a number of celebrities the world over have used award reveals to talk out on socio-political points.

And now, in a serious win for Indian cinema on the BAFTA Awards, ‘Boong’, a Manipuri-language movie, gained the BAFTA within the ‘Greatest Kids’s & Household Movie’ class. Director Lakshmipriya Devi used her BAFTA-winning speech to name for peace in what she described as an ‘ignored and unrepresented’ Manipur.

She started by greeting the viewers in her native tongue and mentioned, “Khurumjari! Greetings to everybody. The stroll up until right here felt like the previous few steps to achieve the summit of a mountain we by no means knew we have been climbing within the first place. So, thanks to the jury members and BAFTA for giving our very small movie such an enormous love. A movie that’s not solely rooted in a spot which may be very troubled, very a lot ignored, and really unrepresented in India, my homeland, Manipur.”

Expressing hope for peace in Manipur amid the continuing unrest and utilizing the platform to focus on the scenario again dwelling, she added, “Simply need to use this chance to say that we pray for peace to return to Manipur. We pray that each one the internally displaced youngsters, together with the kid actors within the movie, regain their pleasure, their innocence and their desires as soon as once more. So, thanks, BAFTA, for giving us not solely an award however this stage to precise our hope. Thanks and have an exquisite night, everybody.” Ethnic tensions in Manipur started in 2023 between the bulk Meitei group and the tribal Kuki-Zo teams. Following the violence, a whole lot have been killed and 1000’s have been pressured to flee their properties.

‘Boong’ is produced by Farhan Akhtar alongside Vikesh Bhutani, Alan McAlex, Ritesh Sidhwani and Shujaat Saudagar. The movie options performances by Gugun Kipgen and Bala Hijam. It premiered within the ‘Discovery’ part on the 2024 Toronto Worldwide Movie Competition and has since travelled to a number of worldwide festivals.

The story centres on a younger boy from the Manipur Valley who needs to shock his mom with a significant reward. In his innocence, he believes that reuniting his household by bringing his father dwelling can be the best current of all. His journey, nonetheless, leads him in direction of an surprising but hopeful new starting. Other than this, India additionally had a proud second on the 2026 BAFTA Movie Awards, with Alia Bhatt presenting an award on the worldwide stage in Hindi.