The nominations for the British Academy Film Awards 2026 are out, setting the tone for a highly competitive awards season. Announced on January 27, the list honours the best films and performances from 2025. The awards ceremony will be held on February 22 in London, where winners across major categories will be revealed. Indian cinema also earned recognition this year. The Manipuri film Boong secured a nomination in the Children’s and Family Film category, highlighting BAFTA’s increasing focus on international and regional storytelling.
Who is Lakshmipriya Devi?
Lakshmipriya Devi is an Indian filmmaker who believes stories should come from a deeply personal place. Although she always wanted to tell stories, she chose not to direct a film until she found one that truly came from within. That moment arrived while she was trying to make sense of an uneasy part of her childhood in Manipur, the north-eastern Indian state she still calls home.
Lakshmipriya’s journey into cinema is rooted in strong academic and professional foundations. She graduated with an Economics Honours degree from Miranda House, Delhi University, and later completed her postgraduate studies in Mass Communication at MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia. Before stepping into independent filmmaking, she spent years learning the craft from the inside, working as a First Assistant Director on some of Hindi cinema’s most influential films, including Lakshya (2004), directed by Farhan Akhtar and PK (2014) helmed by Rajkumar Hirani.
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Her feature directorial debut, BOONG (2024), is a reflection of memory, belonging, and emotional healing. The film draws inspiration from her own experiences and from stories she grew up hearing in Manipur, capturing the region’s tenderness and complexity through a child’s perspective.
BOONG marked a major milestone in her career after being selected for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2024, placing both Lakshmipriya Devi and Manipuri cinema on an international platform. Today, she stands out as a filmmaker whose work is shaped by honesty, restraint, and a deep connection to home.
Why did she make Boong?
Talking to Cinema Express, Lakshmipriya Devi expressed why she made BOONG. The story was deeply personal and had been living with her for a long time. She grew up in Manipur, a place she calls home, but one that also carries difficult memories from her childhood. As she grew older, she felt the need to look back, understand those emotions, and find a sense of closure.
The idea for Boong came from family stories she heard while growing up, especially stories of absence, separation, and unanswered questions. These stayed with her and slowly shaped the film. Living later in Delhi, she also experienced what it feels like to be an outsider, which helped her understand themes of belonging and identity more clearly.
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She chose to tell the story through a child’s eyes because children observe the world honestly, without filters. For Lakshmipriya, Boong became a bittersweet memory of Manipur, gentle, emotional, and rooted in lived experience rather than politics.
