Farhan Akhtar-backed Manipuri film ‘Boong’ wins big at BAFTA Awards

Quirky Manipuri coming-of-age comedy-drama 'Boong', backed by Farhan Akhtar’s Excel Entertainment, clinched the BAFTA for Best Children’s & Family Film in London on Sunday.
Making her directorial debut, Lakshmipriya Devi delivered an emotional appeal for peace while accepting the award from Paddington Bear, who appears in the West End production 'Paddington The Musical'. She was joined on stage by producers Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani, along with assistant director Rahul Sharda.

“The walk up till here felt like the final steps towards a summit we never realised we were climbing,” Devi said, before turning her speech into a heartfelt message for her home state.

“We pray for peace to return to Manipur. We hope the internally displaced children, including our young actors, find their joy, innocence and dreams again. May no conflict ever overpower the one superpower we all possess as human beings — forgiveness. Thank you BAFTA for not just the award, but for giving us this stage to share our hope,” she added.

Featuring performances by Gugun Kipgen and Bala Hijam, the film triumphed over international nominees 'Lilo and Stitch', 'Arco' and 'Zootropolis 2'.

The 2026 BAFTA ceremony, held at the Royal Festival Hall along the River Thames, saw Alia Bhatt present the award for Best Film Not in the English Language to Nordic drama 'Sentimental Value'. Opening with a cheerful “Namaste”, she reflected on cinema’s universality, noting that while films speak many languages, emotion remains their common thread.

On the red carpet earlier, Bhatt, dressed in a shimmering Gucci gown, spoke about finding inspiration in her three-year-old daughter. “Watching her dance to my songs sometimes, I feel that is life,” she said, adding that cinema transcends language because its true force lies in emotion that reaches audiences beyond words.

Meanwhile, Leonardo DiCaprio-starrer 'One Battle After Another' emerged as the night’s biggest winner with six awards. Among the chief guests were Prince William and Kate Middleton, with the Prince of Wales presenting the BAFTA Fellowship to Donna Langley, chairman of NBCUniversal Entertainment.