Mar 06, 2026 7:46pm IST
‘I Lied That My Mother Was A Madonna Fan’: Lakshmipriya Devi On How A Hostel Ragging Story And ’80s Pop Culture Shaped ‘Boong’s’ Madonna Parallel (EXCLUSIVE)
Lakshmipriya Devi’s debut directorial “Boong” has hit the big screen in India today after creating history by winning the first-ever BAFTA for India. In an exclusive chat with Variety India, the filmmaker spoke about the idea that led to the film, what the recognition means to her, and why cinema from India’s Northeast still struggles to receive the attention it deserves.
Most interestingly, she shared the personal story behind the Madonna reference in “Boong.” When asked how pop icon Madonna became a catalyst in the film’s narrative with "Like A Virgin" getting featured, Devi immediately recalled her hostel days in Delhi, where she faced ragging from seniors.
Lakshmipriya Devi said, “I was in a hostel in Delhi and, like most hostels, seniors would bully us a lot and make us do things during ragging sessions. In one such ragging session, I lied and said that my mother was a fan of Madonna. Because Madonna and Michael Jackson were huge at the time, they spared me. That stayed with me. The assembly scene in the film actually comes from my school days — it was something I had always wanted to include somewhere.”
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She further explained how the pop culture of the 1980s deeply shaped her growing years, describing it as a time when music and cinema carried a strong sense of discovery.
“The pop culture scene of the ’80s was very different from what it is now. We were obsessed with music. We wanted to know every album that came out, whether it was Wham!, Madonna, Michael Jackson or Cyndi Lauper. There was a sense of discovery and excitement around artists. Today there is so much exposure and so much clutter that the mystery around artists is almost gone. Back then, growing up in that era meant discovering amazing work — music, films on rented VHS tapes — there was something magical about that time,” she added.
In “Boong,” Devi also pays tribute to several elements from her personal roots and the place where the film is set. She revealed that while writing the film, she approached it with the feeling that it might be her only chance to tell such a story.
“When I wrote ‘Boong’ and it looked like I was going to direct it, I thought this might be my first and last film. So I wanted to put everything into it that I had always wanted to see, because I might never get a chance again. In my own way, I added tributes throughout the film. Even the place where we shot the song where JJ’s character is revealed is Kangla,” she said.
The filmmaker concluded by emphasizing that the film was also her way of inviting audiences to learn more about Manipur and its layered history.
“I wanted people to go back after watching the film and read about Manipur, to understand what those places stand for — the history of Kangla, the presence of the trans community and the stories connected to that region. If someone discovers that layer after watching the film, that’s great. If they don’t, that’s fine too. But for me, it was important to include that layer.”
“Boong” released in India on March 6, 2026.
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