Boong Wins BAFTA 2026: India Makes History at the British Academy Film Awards

A small Manipuri-language film just made the biggest splash at one of cinema's most prestigious ceremonies. Boong won Best Children's and Family Film at the 79th BAFTA Film Awards on February 22, becoming the first Indian film to win in this category.

Boong competed with popular international films including Zootopia 2, Lilo & Stitch, and Arco and came out on top. That's a remarkable result for a debut Manipuri-language feature going up against Disney and major studio productions with massive marketing budgets behind them.

The film revolves around the story of a young boy named Boong from Manipur, who plans to surprise his mother with a special gift. In his innocent mind, he feels that bringing his missing father back home would be the best gift. His search slowly changes his life and leads to an unexpected new beginning. It is a quiet, emotional story rooted in the Northeast Indian experience, and it clearly resonated with BAFTA voters.

The film is directed by Lakshmipriya Devi and produced by Farhan Akhtar, along with Vikesh Bhutani, Alan McAlex, Ritesh Sidhwani, and Shujaat Saudagar. The makers, including Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani, Lakshmipriya Devi, and Alan McAlex, were present at the Royal Festival Hall in London to receive the award.

From Manipur to London: Boong's Festival Journey

Boong didn't arrive at BAFTA overnight. The film first premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival in the Discovery section, and was later screened at the Warsaw International Film Festival 2024, MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024, the International Film Festival of India, and the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2025. It steadily built an international profile through the festival circuit before landing on one of the biggest stages in global cinema.

Boong was the only Indian nominee at the BAFTAs this year, which makes the win even more significant. A regional-language debut film with no major studio backing going up against Disney and Universal titles and walking away with the trophy is exactly the kind of story the film industry needs more of. It also signals that global awards bodies are increasingly open to cinema that comes from outside the usual Hollywood and European circles.

BAFTA 2026: A Night of Big Wins and Historic Firsts

The 79th BAFTA Film Awards were hosted by Alan Cumming at the Royal Festival Hall in London and broadcast on BBC One. India had more than one reason to celebrate on the night. Actor-producer Alia Bhatt presented an award at the ceremony, greeting the audience in Hindi, which quickly went viral on social media.

The rest of the evening was dominated by Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another, which swept six awards including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. Ryan Coogler's Sinners took home three awards, including Best Original Screenplay, making Coogler the first Black filmmaker to win in that category at the BAFTAs. Robert Aramayo won Best Actor for I Swear, pulling off one of the night's biggest upsets over Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothee Chalamet. Jessie Buckley won Best Actress for Hamnet, while Sean Penn took Best Supporting Actor for One Battle After Another in his first ever BAFTA win.

Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein had a strong night in the craft categories, picking up awards for Costume Design, Make Up and Hair, and Production Design. Ludwig Goransson won Best Original Score for Sinners, and Avatar: Fire and Ash took home Special Visual Effects.

But for Indian cinema, the headline of the night was Boong. A story told in Manipuri, about a child looking for his father, filmed on a modest scale, walked into one of the world's most competitive film awards and came out a winner. It is a reminder that great storytelling does not need a blockbuster budget or a global franchise behind it. Sometimes all it takes is an honest story told well.

BAFTA 2026: Full List of Winners

• Best Film: One Battle After Another
• Outstanding British Film: Hamnet
• Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer: My Father's Shadow (Akinola Davies Jr.)
• Film Not in the English Language: Sentimental Value
• Documentary: Mr. Nobody Against Putin
• Animated Film: Zootropolis 2
• Children's & Family Film: Boong
• Director: Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
• Original Screenplay: Ryan Coogler, Sinners
• Adapted Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another
• Leading Actress: Jessie Buckley, Hamnet
• Leading Actor: Robert Aramayo, I Swear
• Supporting Actress: Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners
• Supporting Actor: Sean Penn, One Battle After Another
• Casting: I Swear
• Cinematography: Michael Bauman, One Battle After Another
• Editing: One Battle After Another
• Costume Design: Frankenstein
• Make Up & Hair: Frankenstein
• Original Score: Ludwig Goransson, Sinners
• Production Design: Frankenstein
• Sound: F1
• Special Visual Effects: Avatar: Fire and Ash
• British Short Animation: Two Black Boys in Paradise
• British Short Film: This Is Endometriosis
• EE Rising Star Award: Robert Aramayo
• BAFTA Fellowship: Dame Donna Langley
• Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema: Clare Binns

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