Feb 27, 2026 4:37pm IST
BAFTA-Winning ‘Boong’ Gets a March Release Date in India
Lakshmipriya Devi made history with her film “Boong,” which became the first Indian film to win a BAFTA in the Best Children & Family Film category. Backed by Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani, Shujaat Saudagar, Vikesh Bhutani and their team, the film has now locked its India release date, and it is not far away.
“Boong” is set to release in India on March 6. Announcing the date on Instagram, Excel Entertainment wrote, “A journey of innocence, love and resilience. Witness India’s first BAFTA Award-winning film, in cinemas on 6th March.”
In an exclusive conversation with Variety India, Shujaat Saudagar and Vikesh Bhutani spoke about the commerce of such films. Both believe that movies like “Boong” cannot be evaluated by purely commercial yardsticks.
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Saudagar said, “I was recently telling someone, ‘Dhurandhar’ has done whatever a thousand crores, for example. And Inshallah, I hope ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’ does two thousand crores or whatever. In another year or two, something will do three thousand crores, and in five years something will do five thousand crores.”
He added, “But fifty years from now, when people are Googling, I am hoping Google is still there or whatever engine exists — which was the first Indian film to win at BAFTA, it is this. So it is etching history. You cannot put a monetary valuation on something like that.”
Saudagar is also realistic about the economics. “Yes, these films are not ringing the box office right now, of course not,” he admits. “But eventually there will be space for them to be seen on the big screen and hopefully make money too.”
He is careful not to dismiss commercial cinema. “Every film cannot be a ‘Dhurandhar’,” he says. “And they will not do those numbers.” Instead, he sees parallel growth. “I am watching Indian films gain international visibility. It will take time, but I feel very positive.”
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