When and where to watch BAFTA-winning Indian film Boong on OTT
Manipuri language feature film Boong recently won the Best Children and Family Film award at the 79th British Academy Film Awards. While the film has gained recognition internationally, audiences in India are still waiting for its release on streaming platforms.
boongRecently released Manipuri language film Won the Best Children and Family Film Award The 79th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA) has attracted significant interest in India and globally. Despite its critical success and a limited theatrical release in September 2025, audiences in India have been unable to find the film on major streaming services.
The film, directed by Lakshmipriya Devi and produced by Excel Entertainment, Chalkboard Entertainment and Suitable Pictures, was honored at the Royal Festival Hall in London on Monday. Producers Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar and Alan McAlex joined the director on stage when the BAFTA trophy was presented. marking a milestone For Manipuri language cinema.
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Ahead of his BAFTA recognition, boong Attracted attention through an extensive festival tour. The film had its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival and was screened at several other prestigious events including the Warsaw International Film Festival, MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, International Film Festival of India and the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.
Boong is not available on OTT
The film was previously available for streaming on the MUBI app. However, it is not currently available to watch on any OTT platform.
festival circuit allowed boong Building a strong reputation through word of mouth. The audience appreciated its story and acting. The collaboration between the three production houses aims to focus on narrative based on social and political themes related to Manipur.
Earlier, after winning the trophy at BAFTA 2026, the producer Farhan Akhtar dedicated an Instagram post To boongThe director is Lakshmipriya Devi. He described the film’s victory as the victory of “the dreamers”.
The caption on her post read, “The cast of @lp_devi and the crew of #Boong couldn’t be happier… huge congratulations to them for making a beautiful, heart-touching, brilliant film and for this recognition. It was truly an unforgettable moment to be a part of this film and see it honored on the BAFTA stage. Thank you to the jury. It means a lot to the dreamers and storytellers at home.”
film producer Shekhar Kapur also reacted For the film’s BAFTA win. He wrote a note on X and described it as a better film than the other films nominated at the awards ceremony.
Kapoor wrote, “Congratulations to LakshmiPriya for winning the BAFTA for Best Family Film. I thought Boong was better than the films that won the main awards. It’s just that it’s so rooted in Indian culture and politics that Westerners don’t get it. That’s why it’s important to make our film awards more important internationally…(sic).”
What is Boong? (spoiler ALERT)
In a small village in Manipur, Chhota Boong, a wide-eyed boy, played by newcomer Gugun Kipgen, wants to give his mother (Bala Hijam) the perfect surprise gift. His big plan? Find her absentee father and bring him home for a family reunion.
But innocence meets harsh reality as her quest from the hills of Manipur to the border town of Moreh (and even across the border into Myanmar) shatters her world, yielding unexpected lessons in resilience, growth, and renewal. It’s a moving coming-of-age story full of hearty laughs and emotional punches but without any melodrama.
Helping Boong on his journey is his best friend Raju, played by Angom Sanamattam.
Who is Lakshmipriya Devi?
The writer-director makes his feature debut boongAfter assisting on Bollywood projects like Talaash (2012), Target (2004) and P (2014). She crafts a story that is simple yet profound, shot in the stunning Manipuri landscape with local flavour.
All about the cast of Boong
No A-listers here, just raw talent shining through. Gugun Kipgen plays the lead character boong. The kid steals every scene with his pure-hearted charm. Angom Sanamatum plays boongBest friend Raju Aggarwal. boy plays hijam boongMother Mandakini, who brings quiet strength and heartbreak. Actor Vikram Kochhar plays the role of Raju’s father Sudhir Agarwal.
The cast also includes locals like Nemetiya Ngangbam, Jenny Khoury, Modhubala Thodam and Edhau and Hamom Sadananda.
boong is about authentic faces telling a Manipuri story in its native language with subtitles for a global audience.
All the awards Boong has won so far
boong Even before BAFTA, there was a festival, Dear. Apart from winning the Best Children and Family Film award at BAFTA 2026, the film has also won Best Feature Film at the International South Asian Film Festival, Canada and Best Youth Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Australia.
Here are other achievements:
International Film Festival of India: Nominated for Best Debut Director (Indian Feature).
Bulbul Children’s International Film Festival, Goa: Best Director.
Indie Meme Film Festival: Audience Choice for Best Narrative Feature.
