Manipuri film 'Boong' wins BAFTA for Best Children's and Family Film, Dharmendra remembered

India found much to celebrate at the BAFTA awards with Manipuri coming of age film ''Boong'' winning the award for Best Children's and Family Film in a glittering ceremony that saw its director Lakshmipriya Devi use the spotlight to pray for peace in her home state. There were other India moments too that stood out at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards held on Sunday evening. As singer Jessie Ware performed the poignant ''The Way We Were'', the late actor Dharmendra was honoured in the In Memoriam section. Actor Alia Bhatt turned presenter for Best Film not in English Language category. Produced by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani's Excel Entertainment, ''Boong'' revolves around a young boy in search of his absent father who he wants to bring to surprise his mother. It was the only Indian film nominated at the awards. Last year, Payal Kapadia's ''All We Imagine As Light'' was nominated but didn't win. ''Boong'', starring Gugun Kipgen and Bala Hijam, beat international competition from other nominees ''Lilo and Stitch'', ''Arco'' and ''Zootropolis 2''. ''The walk up till here felt like the last few steps to reach the summit of a mountain we never knew we were climbing in the first place. I just want to use this opportunity to say that we pray for peace to return in Manipur,'' Lakshmipriya said in her acceptance speech about Manipur that has been going through violent ethnic clashes. ''We pray that all the internally displaced children, including the child actors in the film, regain their joy, their innocence, and their dreams once again. We pray that no conflict is ever formidable enough to destroy the one superpower that all of us have as human beings, that is forgiveness,'' she added. In a backstage interaction with reporters, she said the movie was inspired by the folk tales of her grandmother. ''I come from a very troubled state in India. Those folk tales always cushioned me. There would be gunshots in the distance but I felt safe with her. I wanted 'Boong' to be an urban version of her folk tales with the same kind of warmth that made you feel safe. It's also a closure for myself from those memories of having grown up in a place like that,'' Lakshmipriya said. Producer Akhtar said he has known Lakshmipriya for two years and backing the film set in a region of India from which we rarely get to watch films ''just felt right''. ''Boong'' was made in a language from India's Manipur - a region rich in culture and storytelling, but rarely represented internationally. ''The fact that it's being heard and celebrated here reaffirms our belief that stories don't need scale, they need soul... It's not just a win for our team, but for the many unheard voices across India,'' producer Sidhwani told PTI. Congratulatory messages poured in after the win with messages from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Manipur Chief Minister Y Khemchand Singh, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and many in the industry. ''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 country,'' the PM said in a post on X. Singh said the BAFTA win for ''Boong'' is a moment of immense pride not only for Manipur but for the entire nation. ''Smt Lakshmipriya Devi's victory at the 79th BAFTA 2026 exemplifies her commitment to impactful filmmaking, with 'Boong' claiming the top honour in the best children & family film category, bringing accolades to Manipur and India,'' he said in a post on Facebook. The win has made the entire nation proud, said Banerjee. ''Against all odds, this film was crowned Best Children and Family Film, becoming the first-ever Indian production to win in this prestigious category,'' the West Bengal chief minister said. Dressed in a Gucci gown, Bhatt spoke about the importance of celebrating the language of cinema while presenting the Best Film not in English Language award to Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier for his film ''Sentimental Value''. ''Namaskar! Agla award ek aisi film ke liye hai jo angrezi mein nahi hai,'' Bhatt said. ''Don't reach for the subtitles just yet. I was only saying in Hindi that the next award is for a film not in the English language. Because while film speaks in countless voices, what we always celebrate is the language of cinema. And that one we all speak fluently. And the incredible nominees are,'' she added. At the star-studded gala, held at the Royal Festival Hall by the river Thames, Oscar-frontrunner ''One Battle After Another'' won six awards while vampire saga ''Sinners'' and gothic horror story ''Frankenstein'' each won three prizes.