Mumbai, Feb 23 Prime Minister Narendra Modi used social media to congratulate the Manipuri film "Boong" for winning the prestigious 'Best Children's & Family Film' title at the 79th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA).
The post on PM Modi's official X (Previously known as Twitter) handle read, "Congratulations to all those associated with this film. This is indeed a moment of immense joy, especially for Manipur. It also highlights the immense creative talent in our nation. (sic)"
The movie was in the running alongside some noteworthy international titles such as "Arco", "Lilo & Stitch", and "Zootropolis 2".
"Boong" which features Gugun Kipgen, Bala Hijam, Angom Sanamatum, Vikram Kochhar, Nemetia Ngangbam, Jenny Khurai, and Hamom Sadananda in key roles, narrates the journey of a young boy on a quest to reunite his family amidst the social tensions in Manipur.
The drama had its world premiere at the Discovery section of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival on 5 September 2024.
Reacting to the milestone moment, director Lakshmipriya Devi described it as a "homage to my homeland".
The official Instagram page of BAFTA dropped a video of Lakshmipriya Devi accepting the award.
Commencing her address with the traditional greeting “Kurumjari”, she was heard saying, “The walk up till here felt like the last few steps to reach a summit of a mountain we never knew we were climbing in the first place. So thank you to the jury members and BAFTA for giving our very small film such big love.”
The filmmaker further highlighted that the film is rooted in her homeland, Manipur, a region she described as a troubled, ignored, and underrepresented part of India.
“A film that is not only rooted in a place which is very troubled, very much ignored and very unrepresented in India, my homeland, Manipur. It's a homage to my homeland. So I just want to use this opportunity to say that we pray for peace to return to Manipur,” she went on to add.
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