Mar 14, 2026 4:32pm IST
BAFTA Winner Lakshmipriya Devi on Northeast Cinema’s Fight for Visibility: “We Have Been Ignored Forever” (EXCLUSIVE)
Filmmaker Lakshmipriya Devi recently created history by becoming the first Indian filmmaker to win a BAFTA in the Best Children & Family Film category with her debut Manipuri feature "Boong". Hailing from India’s Northeast, Devi has been vocal about her desire to tell stories rooted in the region — stories that rarely find space in the country’s mainstream cinematic conversation. Following the historic win, the filmmaker spoke to Variety India about the long-standing challenges faced by cinema from the Northeast and why visibility remains its biggest hurdle.
Lakshmipriya Devi believes the biggest challenge facing cinema from India’s Northeast is simply a lack of exposure.
“I think it's both ways. Firstly is exposure. Like we have been ignored forever right by mainstream media you know. So until there is exposure or you give a knowledge that this thing a place exists this kind of films exist how will people come to know.”
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She adds that filmmakers from the region also need to take the leap and put their work out there despite fears of rejection.
“My answer is the same exposure. Exposure both ways is… like I just took this leap and said that I'm going to make a Manipuri film and put it out there and I think a lot of people can also do that and not feel that oh what if I get rejected. I think they should just give it that shot.”
At the same time, she points out that cinema from the region has a long history of festival recognition.
“There were lots of Manipuri films which have done extremely well in festivals. You must have heard of Aribam Syam Sharma’s ‘Ishanou’. And these films were there and I'm talking about 1980s.”
According to her, the landscape has slowly begun to change with the arrival of social media and streaming platforms.
“So it's exposure. But thanks to social media now people are hearing about it now. We also have platforms earlier there were no platforms.”
She notes that the lack of distribution channels historically made it extremely difficult for these films to reach audiences.
“You can't blame a single thing there are several several factors which is social. Like these films you have nowhere you could play. Earlier it was DD1 and DD2 yeah three channels. Now with platforms coming in there is YouTube. So I think just the circumstances have changed.”
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