LONDON, 23 Feb: India found much to celebrate at the BAFTA awards with Manipuri coming-of-age film Boong winning the award for Best Children’s & 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 the 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 Lightwas 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.”
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. (PTI)
