Indian Film 'Boong' Nominated for BAFTA 2026 in Children's & Family Category

Lakshmipriya Devi's directorial debut 'Boong' has been nominated for a BAFTA 2026 award in the Children's and Family Film category. The film follows a schoolboy from Manipur who embarks on a journey to find his missing father near the Myanmar border. It is jointly produced by Farhan Akhtar's Excel Entertainment and was released in September 2025. The nomination places 'Boong' among other major international contenders at the upcoming awards ceremony.

Key Points: 'Boong' BAFTA 2026 Nomination | Lakshmipriya Devi Directorial

  • Debut directorial nomination
  • Story of a boy's search for his father
  • Jointly produced by Farhan Akhtar
  • Explores Manipur-Myanmar border setting
  • Part of prestigious BAFTA 2026 lineup
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BAFTA 2026: Lakshmipriya Devi directorial 'Boong' secures nomination in Children's & Family Film category

Lakshmipriya Devi's debut film 'Boong' earns a BAFTA 2026 nomination. Story of a boy's journey from Manipur. Produced by Farhan Akhtar.

"Schoolboy Boong doesn't see long distances and state borders as significant obstacles. - Toronto International Film Festival"

Mumbai, January 27

Lakshmipriya Devi's debut directorial 'Boong' has secured a nomination at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts 2026 in the category of Children's and Family Film on Tuesday.

Jointly produced by Farhan Akhtar under the banner of Excel Entertainments, Boong has been nominated along with films 'Arco', 'Lilo & Stitch' and 'Zootopia 2'.

According to the Toronto International Film Festival, the brief description of the film states, "Schoolboy Boong (Gugun Kipgen) doesn't see long distances and state borders as significant obstacles. At least not when it comes to giving his mother, Mandakini (Bala Hijam), the best surprise gift ever: bringing back his father, Joykumar."

"After leaving their home city of Manipur, India, for the border city of Moreh, near Myanmar, in search of better job opportunities, Joykumar has stopped communicating with the family. With rumours spreading about his father's death, Boong refuses to accept that grim possibility and teams up with his best friend, Raju (Angom Sanamatum), an outsider from Rajasthan, to search for the truth," it added.

The film was released in theatres on September 19, 2025.

Devi makes her directorial debut with 'Boong,' after gaining experience at First Assistant Director on films including 'Luck by Chance', 'Talaash', 'PK', and 'A Suitable Boy'.

Follwing Tuesday's announcement, Paul Thomas Anderson directorial political satire 'One Battle After Another' leads the BAFTA nominations with 14 nods overall, just two shy of the record set by 'Gandhi' and leveling with 'All Quiet on the Western Front,' 'Atonement,' 'The King's Speech' and 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,' reported Variety.

Ryan Coogler's directorial debut, Sinners, closely follows Leonardo's film with 13 nominations, providing the first trip for the director and actor Michael B Jordan to BAFTA's as nominees.

The BAFTA Film Awards will take place on February 22 at London's Royal Festival Hall, with Alan Cumming on hosting duties, reported Variety.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Saw 'Boong' with my kids last year. It's a beautiful film that tackles a tough subject of migration and family separation in a way children can understand. Gugun Kipgen was brilliant. So proud to see it nominated alongside Disney giants!
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Arjun K
Great achievement, no doubt. But I do wish the article gave more details about the film's reception in India. Was it a box office success here? Sometimes our media celebrates international validation more than domestic audience love. Just a thought.
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Sarah B
The plot sounds incredibly moving. The father leaving Moreh for work... it reflects the real struggles of so many families in border regions. Art imitating life. Kudos to Lakshmipriya Devi for bringing this story to a global audience.
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Vikram M
Farhan Akhtar backing a project like this shows his eye for meaningful content. And the lead actor is from Manipur, the friend's character is from Rajasthan... truly a pan-India film in spirit. Hope this nomination leads to more such collaborations.
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Nikhil C
Fantastic! A film about hope and determination from our own backyard. The fact that it's competing with Zootopia 2 is mind-blowing. Let's all stream it or watch it again to show our support. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳

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