A tiny Manipuri production has achieved the extraordinary: ‘Bung’ has swept the BAFTA Awards, securing the Best Children’s and Family Film honor. Backed by Farhan Akhtar’s Excel Entertainment and helmed by director Laxmipriya Devi, the film’s triumph is a proud chapter for India’s regional cinema.
Set in the volatile landscape of Manipur’s border areas, ‘Bung’ chronicles a schoolboy’s poignant fight against a lifetime of violence and abandonment. Amid ethnic clashes and political turmoil, he strives to stitch his shattered family back together and reunite with his lost father. The film’s nuanced depiction of these hardships has earned it rave reviews.
On the BAFTA stage, Laxmipriya Devi’s acceptance speech was a raw, emotional highlight. Flanked by Farhan Akhtar, she thanked the academy profusely and framed the win as an ode to Manipur—India’s ‘ignored and unrepresented’ state. ‘This is for a deeply troubled region,’ she declared, her voice breaking as she prayed for lasting peace.
She reflected poetically: ‘Reaching here felt like those final steps to a summit we never knew existed.’ The director’s candor about her homeland’s struggles amplified the film’s message, turning the award into a platform for advocacy.
‘Bung’ had already built buzz with screenings at Toronto IFF Discovery 2024, Warsaw IFF, the 55th IFFI, and Indian Film Festival Melbourne 2025. This BAFTA win, as the year’s first for an Indian film, underscores the global hunger for stories from India’s overlooked corners. It challenges the status quo, affirming that excellence knows no regional bounds.