Mar 04, 2026 3:32pm IST
‘Boong’ Trailer Review: BAFTA-Winning Manipuri Film Unveils A Tender Coming-of-Age Journey
After rewriting history for Indian cinema by becoming the first Indian film to win a BAFTA in the Best Children & Family Film category, Lakshmipriya Devi’s Manipuri film “Boong” is finally heading to theatres this week. The makers have now dropped the trailer, and it invites audiences into a world that feels both intimately local and universally resonant, offering a powerful glimpse into why the film has begun reshaping expectations for Indian cinema on the global stage.
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At its core, “Boong” is very much a coming-of-age story about a young boy’s earnest desire to bring his fractured family back together. The trailer opens with sunlit shots of Manipur’s landscapes, grounding the story in lived experience. We meet Boong, played by Gugun Kipgen, whose performance has already impressed viewers across the board. His aim is simple yet profound: to find his missing father, who exists only as a photograph in his life, and bring happiness back to his mother, Mandakini, played by Bala Hijam.
Gugun’s innocence as Boong, along with the friends who accompany him on his mission, makes the 1-minute-53-second trailer instantly heart-touching. It feels both tender and adventurous. As Boong sets out in search of his father, the journey takes him to the border town of Moreh, towards Myanmar. The trailer captures the quiet wonder of exploration, the bond of friendship between Boong and his best friend Raju, and the emotional stakes of a child trying to make sense of absence and loss.
The emotional core of Boong, as suggested by the trailer, lies in its delicate balance between childlike optimism and the creeping reality of hardship. While it subtly gestures toward the tensions and conflicts shaping Manipur, it never feels heavy-handed, allowing the story to remain anchored in a child’s perspective. At the same time, the trailer offers glimpses of Manipuri culture, from vibrant folk dance sequences to everyday community moments, enriching the narrative with a strong sense of place and identity.
What makes the film even more compelling is that “Boong” marks Lakshmipriya Devi’s directorial debut, and it already appears to be a confident film with a tender heart. Visually, it leans toward a near-documentary style. The colour palette embraces natural earth tones and lush outdoor settings, underscoring the film’s commitment to realism.
By the time the trailer ends, viewers are left with a strong sense of emotional investment in “Boong”’s quest and the quiet hope that drives him forward.
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