Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 27 : Lakshmipriya Devi's debut directorial 'Boong' has secured a nomination at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) 2026 in the category of Children's and Family Film on Tuesday.
Jointly produced by Farhan Akhtar under the banner of Excel Entertainments, Boong has been nominated along with films 'Arco', 'Lilo & Stitch' and 'Zootopia 2'.
According to the Toronto International Film Festival, the brief description of the film states, "Schoolboy Boong (Gugun Kipgen) doesn't see long distances and state borders as significant obstacles. At least not when it comes to giving his mother, Mandakini (Bala Hijam), the best surprise gift ever: bringing back his father, Joykumar."
"After leaving their home city of Manipur, India, for the border city of Moreh, near Myanmar, in search of better job opportunities, Joykumar has stopped communicating with the family. With rumours spreading about his father's death, Boong refuses to accept that grim possibility and teams up with his best friend, Raju (Angom Sanamatum), an outsider from Rajasthan, to search for the truth," it added.
The film was released in theatres on September 19, 2025.
Devi makes her directorial debut with 'Boong,' after gaining experience at First Assistant Director on films including 'Luck by Chance', 'Talaash', 'PK', and 'A Suitable Boy'.
Follwing Tuesday's announcement, Paul Thomas Anderson directorial political satire 'One Battle After Another' leads the BAFTA nominations with 14 nods overall, just two shy of the record set by 'Gandhi' and leveling with 'All Quiet on the Western Front,' 'Atonement,' 'The King's Speech' and 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,' reported Variety.
Ryan Coogler's directorial debut, Sinners, closely follows Leonardo's film with 13 nominations, providing the first trip for the director and actor Michael B Jordan to BAFTA's as nominees.
The BAFTA Film Awards will take place on February 22 at London's Royal Festival Hall, with Alan Cumming on hosting duties, reported Variety.