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Indian Film 'Boong' Makes History, Wins BAFTA for Best Children's Film

The Manipuri-language film "Boong" has won the Best Children and Family Film award at the BAFTA Awards 2026, creating history as the first Indian film to secure a victory in this category. The film, directed by Lakshmipriya Devi and produced by a team including Farhan Akhtar, triumphed over international competitors like "Zootopia 2." Its story follows a young boy from Manipur on a quest to reunite his family. The award was accepted by the makers at a ceremony in London where Alia Bhatt is also slated to present.

Key Points: Indian Film 'Boong' Wins BAFTA 2026 Award

  • First Indian film to win BAFTA in category
  • Defeated major international titles
  • Premiered at Toronto festival 2024
  • Directed by Lakshmipriya Devi
2 min read

BAFTA 2026: India's 'Boong' clinches Best Children's and Family Film award, makes history

Manipuri-language film 'Boong' wins Best Children and Family Film at BAFTA 2026, marking India's first victory in the category.

"Boong has also created history by becoming the first Indian film to win the BAFTA Award in the Best Children's and Family Film category. - Official Announcement"

London, February 23

The ongoing BAFTA Awards 2026 has brought good news for India this year as the Manipuri-language debut feature, won a major honour on the global stage.

India made its mark at the British Academy Film Awards as 'Boong' won the Best Children and Family Film award. The film was the only Indian nominee at the BAFTAs this year. The official BAFTA social media pages shared the announcement. With this, Boong has also created history by becoming the first Indian Indian film to win the BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Award in the Best Children's and Family Film category.

Boong is directed by Lakshmipriya Devi and produced by Farhan Akhtar, along with Vikesh Bhutani, Alan McAlex, Ritesh Sidhwani and Shujaat Saudagar. The makers, including Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani, Lakshmipriya Devi and Alan McAlex, were present at the event held at London's Royal Festival Hall to receive the award.

The film revolves around the story of a young boy named Boong from Manipur. He plans to surprise his mother with a special gift. In his innocent mind, he feels that bringing his missing father back home would be the best gift. His search slowly changes his life and leads to an unexpected new beginning.

Boong competed with popular international films such as Zootopia 2, Lilo & Stitch and Arco and still managed to win the award.

The film first premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival in the Discovery section. It was later screened at many global film events, including the Warsaw International Film Festival 2024, MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024, the International Film Festival of India, and the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2025.

Meanwhile, the 79th BAFTA Awards ceremony is being held at the Royal Festival Hall in London. Actor-producer Alia Bhatt is also set to present an award at the event.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Beating Zootopia 2 is no small feat! Huge congratulations to the entire team. Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani backing regional cinema is a great trend. Hope this opens more doors for films from the Northeast.
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Aman W
Fantastic achievement! But a small critique: I wish our own Indian award shows would recognize such gems *before* they win international awards. We need to champion our diverse stories at home first.
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Sarah B
The plot sounds so touching and universal. A child's love for his parents transcends all language and cultural barriers. This is exactly the kind of content the world needs more of. Well done!
K
Karthik V
Proud moment for Indian cinema! A Manipuri-language film on a global stage like BAFTA is historic. Hope this leads to more investment and distribution for regional films internationally. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳
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Nisha Z
So happy for Lakshmipriya Devi! A female director winning a BAFTA is inspiring for so many young women filmmakers across India. The story seems beautiful. When is it releasing on OTT? Eagerly waiting!

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