Filmmaker Lakshmipriya Devi has spoken about the labels she has faced in her career after her film Boong made history by becoming the first Indian movie to win at the British Academy Film Awards in 2026.
Written and directed by Devi, the film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival before going on to gain recognition at several international festivals.
Ahead of the film’s theatrical release, the filmmakers held a press conference where Devi reflected on how she has often been categorised during her career, including being described as a “woman director” or a “Northeastern filmmaker.”
She said she has frequently been placed in multiple boxes because of her background and gender, but she never viewed herself in those terms.
Devi said her upbringing in Manipur influenced her understanding of gender roles. She noted that women in the region are particularly strong, joking that men there sometimes have it tougher.
The director also said the most difficult part of making Boong was not the circumstances of filming but confronting her own creativity. Having previously worked on the sets of large productions such as Dunki, Talaash, Rang De Basanti and PK, she found the scale of Boong comparatively small.
Despite its modest production scale, the film has connected strongly with audiences, particularly children. Devi recalled that young viewers at children’s film festivals in Europe enthusiastically asked for a sequel.
However, she said she currently has no plans to make a second part.
According to the director, many elements of the film are drawn from her own experiences. She said several scenes were inspired by events she had personally lived through, including crossing a border in a way similar to the film’s protagonist.
Devi also explained that the screenplay developed naturally and was written in a style similar to a personal diary. She added that the story reflects both discrimination she has witnessed and the strength of Manipur’s gender-diverse community, which she said has played an important role in empowering society.
The filmmaker also believes that films from northeastern India are gaining greater global visibility due to changing times, pointing to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of social media in helping such stories reach wider audiences.
The film features child actor Gugun Kipgen, who was nine years old when the film was shot. At the press conference, he said he was disappointed that he could not attend the BAFTA ceremony but described the award as a remarkable achievement.
Kipgen also shared that he grew up watching the animated movie Zootopia, and it felt surreal to see Boong nominated alongside its sequel.
Devi revealed that the young actor almost left the project during filming because the cast had to train in Thang Ta for certain scenes, which proved physically demanding.
Boong tells the story of a young boy growing up in Manipur who embarks on a cross-border journey to search for his missing father. Through the child’s perspective, the film explores themes of identity, displacement, discrimination and resilience while portraying everyday life in the region with warmth and humour.
#With inputs from NDTV