Shekhar Kapur says Manipuri film Boong was better than main BAFTA winners: ‘Westerners did not get it’

Lakshmipriya Devi's Boong won Best Children’s and Family Film award at BAFTA 2026 but filmmaker Shekhar Kapur believes the film was better than that.

The BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Awards were held in London on Sunday evening, and Lakshmipriya Devi's Manipuri film Boong won the Best Children’s and Family Film award. While congratulatory messages poured in for the team, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur batted for the film, stating that it was better than the films that won in the main categories.

Shekhar Kapur says Boong was better than the films that won in main categories for BAFTA.

Shekhar Kapur on Boong being better than other BAFTA winners

In September 22, 2025, Shekhar had posted his review of Boong on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “The funniest, most heartwarming, the most heartbreaking film I’ve seen in a long time. And yet it packs a solid political punch. Manipuri director, Laxmipriya shows us how it’s done. Don’t miss it.” Reposting his review, he now wrote, “Congratulations to Laxmipriya for winning the BAFTA for the best family film.”

Shekhar also believed that Boong would’ve fared better at BAFTA if westerners understood the nuances, writing, “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 the westerners did not get it. That’s why it’s important to make our film awards more important internationally.”

Farhan Akhtar is one of the producers of the film, which had its world premiere at the Discovery section of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. Both Farhan and Lakshmipriya were at the ceremony to collect the award. The film follows the story of a young boy named Boong, from the valley of Manipur, who plans to surprise his mother with a gift. In his innocence, he believes that bringing his father back home would be the most special gift. His search for his father leads to an unexpected gift – a new beginning.

Other winners at BAFTA 2026

Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Regina Hall and Teyana Taylor, won the Best Film award at BAFTA, while Chloé Zhao’s Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley-starrer Hamnet won Outstanding British Film. Norwegian film Sentimental Value won the Best Film Not in the English Language award.

The Best Lead Actor and Actress awards went to Robert Aramayo for I Swear and Jessie Buckley for Hamnet. One Battle After Another emerged as the clear frontrunner, winning awards in numerous categories, including Best Film, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing and Supporting Actor for Sean Penn. It was followed by Ryan Coogler's Sinners, which took home three awards.