‘Boong,’ the first Indian film to receive a British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) honor in the Best Children’s and Family Film category, and originally released in September 2024, the Manipuri-language Boong (with subtitles) is back in cinemas to mark its top prize status.

The film tells the emotional story of a young boy Boong (meaning ‘little boy’) who sets out on a cross-border journey to bring his father home, believing it will be the greatest gift he can give his mother for Holi.

Made in 2024 over a period of 45 days and set in Manipur, Lakshmipriya Devi’s emotional drama debut revolves around Brojendro “Boong” Singh, (Gugun Kipgen) a restless schoolboy living with his mother in Imphal while his father works in the distant border town of Moreh. When the father Joykumar stops answering phone calls and voice messages and even the village chief and the village elders pronounce him as dead, his mother Mandakini (Bala Hijam) and little Boong refuse to believe them. With no option left to find where his father is, Boong, chooses a difficult path to go to the very place his father works and find him. With only a picture frame in hand and knowledge that his father runs a Burma Teak furniture business, Boong and his friend travel to Moreh to find him.

But the road to reach there is not easy. Taking the help from his friend Raju (Angom Sanamatum) who lost his mother when he was young, the relation between the two grows and at times it also simmers into fist fights. Raju’s outsider identity, migration and everyday interactions play a big role in their surroundings. Add to that the multitude of tribes, languages and cultures, where even Tamil migrants have made a home for themselves add to the storyline landscape. In the film, you can see the angst the locals have against outsiders, when Raju’s father Sudhir (Vikram Kochhar), who is of Marwari heritage is warned to stay out of local matters after he helps Mandakini deal with the village head. In the same way, we are also reminded of how migrants from the Northeast are often treated in other parts of the country.

Boong and Raju are always united when it comes to girls, they either hate them or love them. Love blossoms when Boong and Raju leave the conservation Imphal school to study in an English school and meet up with the quirky Juliana (Nemetia Ngangbam). Juliana’s playful chemistry with Boong is surely a stand out in the film.

Boong’s antics cannot go unnoticed. With a hope of getting rusticated from school and studying in an English school, Boong pranks the school's board name to 'Homo Boys School', reciting Madonna's Like a Virgin as a morning prayer. While that might leave you giggling for a few moments, intense moments show his resilience in comforting his mother who waits for her husband. The film handles these themes gently, and showcases it through visuals instead of preaching its message.

The cast do well in all areas of the film including the very lovable Jenny Khurai who performs an adorable Madonna tribute in Myanmar. Bala Hijam is striking too as the no-nonsense, dignified, cool and calm Mandakini. As Raju, the bespectacled Angom Sanamatum is a delightful companion for the eternally playful Boong.

The big question as the 90 plus minute film moves on, will Boong be able to find his father and take him back as a gift to his mother or will he return with news that his father’s death as claimed by the villagers is true? The film sets Boong on a journey that ultimately changes his life forever.

The Farhan Akhtar backed project defeated several international titles competing like ‘Arco’, ‘Lilo & Stitch’, and ‘Zootropolis 2’  to win the award which was presented  at the Royal Festival Hall in London, where director Lakshmipriya Devi joined producers Riesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar and Alan McAlex on stage to receive the honour and celebrate the film’s global recognition.

Lakshmipriya’s screenplay is spot on bringing on love, violence, simplicity, diversity and humour and most importantly what childhood friendships are all about.

A must watch for the entire family.

Title: Boong

Written and directed by: Lakshmipriya Devi

Cast: Gugun Kipgen, Bala Hijam, Angom Sanamatum, Vikram Kochhar, Jenny Khurai, Hamom Sadananda

Production: Excel Entertainment, Chalkboard Entertainment, and Suitable Pictures.

Rating: ****

Reviewed by Verus Ferreira