The night was elegant, full of famous faces and flashing lights. And then, Paddington Bear walked up and handed a filmmaker from a small, troubled state in northeastern India a BAFTA award.
For Lakshmipriya Devi, the walk to that London stage felt like the final steps to a summit she never knew she was climbing. Her film, Boong, a simple story in the Manipuri language about a boy searching for his missing father, had just beaten Disney heavyweights like Lilo & Stitch and Zootopia 2 to win Best Children’s & Family Film.
In her speech, Devi didn’t just thank the jury. She used the global stage to speak about her homeland. “It’s a film that is not only rooted in a place which is very troubled, very much ignored, and very unrepresented in India,” she said. “My homeland, Manipur.”
She spoke directly to the children back home, especially the young actors from her film who are now displaced by ethnic conflict, praying they regain “their joy, their innocence, and their dream once again.”
Manipur is a remote state in India’s northeast, known for its rich arts, its champion sportspersons, and its unique culture. But today, it is a fragile place, torn apart by conflict. As a recent report in Forbes highlighted, this erasure from the mainstream is nothing new. The magazine pointed out that Indian cinema has largely ignored or marginalised the northeast, and when it does pay attention, it often gets it wrong.
Forbes recalled the controversy when Priyanka Chopra, a Bollywood star, was cast to play Manipuri boxing champion Mary Kom, instead of an actual actor from the state.
Boong refuses to let that happen. It tells the story through the eyes of a young schoolboy, Boong (played by Gugun Kipgen), who refuses to believe the rumours that his father has died while working near the Myanmar border. Determined to bring him home as a gift for his mother, he teams up with his best friend, Raju, a boy from a different community, to find the truth.
The film doesn’t ignore the hard realities of Manipur—the migration, the economic struggles, the military presence—but it shows them through a child’s lens. It becomes a story of family, friendship, and hope. And that spirit of unity wasn’t just on screen. As Devi explained to The Indian Sun during the film’s screening at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne last year, the making of Boong was itself a small act of defiance.
The lead actor and soft-spoken Kipgen, calls her “aunty,” even though she is Meitei. In Manipur today, where violence between the two communities (Kukis and Meiteis) has turned neighbours into strangers, this simple bond is significant. Devi recalled how people from every side of the divide came together to make the film.
“Our team itself reflected the unity there is,” she said. “Now that the conflict has happened, many people don’t want to meet people from the other community. I don’t believe in that.”
The heart of the film, she says, lies in the idea of “closure.” Whether it’s between communities or friends, if you don’t close painful chapters, you can never move on. It’s a message that feels urgent, not just for Manipur, but for a divided world.
The film was backed by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Excel Entertainment, giving it access to resources and global platforms that many regional films never receive. Akhtar had earlier described the BAFTA nomination as “incredibly meaningful,” noting that the film was made “with a lot of heart” in a region that rarely finds space internationally.
But ultimately, the film belongs to Devi—a director who spent years working behind the scenes as an assistant director before choosing to tell her own story. “I didn’t want to direct till I had a story to tell,” she said.
With Boong, she has proven that stories from India’s Northeast can compete on the world’s biggest stages.
Support independent community journalism. Support The Indian Sun.
Follow The Indian Sun on X | Instagram | Facebook
Support Independent Community Journalism
Dear Reader,The Indian Sun exists for one reason: to tell stories that might otherwise go unheard.
We report on local councils, state politics, small businesses and cultural festivals. We focus on the Indian diaspora and the wider multicultural community with care, balance and accountability. We publish in print and online, send regular newsletters and produce video content. We also run media training programs to help community organisations share their own stories.
We operate independently.
Community journalism does not have the backing of large media corporations. Advertising revenue fluctuates. Platform algorithms change. Costs continue to rise. Yet the need for credible, grounded reporting in a multicultural Australia has never been greater.
When you support The Indian Sun, you support:
• Independent reporting on issues affecting migrant communities
• Coverage of local and state decisions that shape daily life
• A platform for small businesses and community groups
• Media training that builds skills within the community
• Journalism accountable to readers
We cannot cover everything, but we work to cover what matters.
If you value thoughtful reporting that reflects Australia’s diversity, we invite you to contribute. Every donation helps us maintain the quality and consistency of our work.
Please consider making a contribution today.
Thank you for your support.
The Indian Sun Team
