Farhan Akhtar Reveals Decision To Back BAFTA-Winning Boong: 'It Just Felt Right'

India scripted history at the prestigious BAFTA Awards 2026. Boong, the Manipuri-language feature, won in the Best Children and Family Film category, beating international titles such as Zootopia 2, Lilo & Stitch, and Arco. Written and directed by Lakshmipriya Devi and produced by Farhan Akhtar along with Vikesh Bhutani, Alan McAlex, Ritesh Sidhwani and Shujaat Saudagar, it was the sole Indian nominee at the 79th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA).

Devi, Akhtar, McAlex, and Sidhwani were present at the ceremony to collect the award.

Farhan Akhtar on Boong's win at BAFTA

While talking about his long association with the director, Farhan said he and Lakshmipriya have known each other for almost 20 years. "This is her first film as a director. So it's a very special moment in her life and it's amazing that we're part of it," he said while talking to Deadline.

"Also, it's a film that's set in a region of India where very few films that we get to watch, films coming out of there. So it was nice to support that as well. And it's a very, very heartwarming and a very sweet story. So it just felt right," he added.

Before Farhan, Lakshmipriya said, "Boong means a little boy in my language, Manipuri. So it's about a boy who wants to get a very special gift for his mother. So he thinks by finding his father, who's been missing for quite a while, that would be the best gift for his mother. So that's basically the story of the film."

Farhan's post after BAFTA win

Taking to his Instagram handle, Farhan shared a few pics from the stage and captioned the post, "Could not be happier for @lp_devi & the cast of crew of #Boong .. massive congratulations to them for creating a beautiful, heartwarming, gem of a film and for this recognition."

"Feel so proud to be a part of this film and to see it honoured on the BAFTA stage was truly an unforgettable moment. Thank you to the jury. This means a lot to the dreamers and storytellers back home," he added.

For the unversed, Lakshmipriya worked as an assistant director on several Excel Entertainment projects, including films like Lakshya, Luck by Chance, and Talaash, among others.

Boong had its world premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. It was also screened at the Warsaw International Film Festival 2024, the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024, the International Film Festival of India, and the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2025.