Boong and the fire of hope

Illustration/Uday Mohite

Lakshmipriya Devi's wonderful debut feature Boong (a little boy), in Manipuri, has been selected in the Discovery section of the 49th Toronto International Film Festival that runs from September 5-15, 2024. It is truly astonishing that despite the politically volatile situation in Manipur, a woman director can make a film in Manipuri, and with her very first feature, be selected at an A-list festival as TIFF. She's probably the only Manipuri director of the younger generation, other than Haobam Paban Kumar, to play at TIFF.

Of course, she has a significant body of work behind her, in roles such as Chief Assistant Director, including collaborating with Reema Kagti (from Assam), Zoya Akhtar, Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani for about 17 films over 24 years, from Lakshya to Rang de Basanti and PK. With the ethnic violence between the Meitis, Kukis and others in Manipur, she says, many places in Moreh they shot in or lived in were reduced to rubble, with the majority of the town's population is still in relief camps. The film is produced by Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar, Vikesh Bhutani, Shujaat Saudagar and Alan McAlex; the producing companies include Excel Entertainment, Chalkboard Entertainment and Suitable Pictures.

The story is about a single mother Mandakini (BalaHijam, popular Manipuri actress) and her naughty, spunky schoolboy son Boong (Gugun Kipgen); the dad Joykumar has gone out of town for his teak furniture business, and has not returned since long. Boong wants to surprise his mother with a gift: by tracing and returning his father to his mother and reuniting his family. In this adventure, he enlists the support of his best friend Raju (AngomSanamatum), son of a Rajasthani father, which involves travelling to Moreh and across the Myanmar border, and it turns out to be a musical adventure as well. You cannot imagine a film made in this setting, in the troubled Manipur in the Northeast, but it opens early on with a scene in which Boong leads the school assembly with Madonna's song Like a Virgin, that has the audience in splits!

Boong is a real jewel, a feisty, kickass feminist film that tells a single mum-son story that announces the stupendous talent of the director in her debut feature, as well as Bala Hijam and Gugun Kipgen. There are many moments in which Mandakini is quietly feminist and stands strong against patriarchy and misogyny, with many images of Manipuri culture s and festivals rarely seen widely in our cinema. It also beautifully tackles the outsider/insider issue delicately through the eyes of children.

The film celebrates hope, friendship and feminism, poignant in a state ripped by ethnic hatred. The direction is assured and the film well crafted. Tanay Satam's cinematography is excellent; Shreyas Beltangdy's editing is taut. We hope this film is widely seen globally, including in India.

Meenakshi Shedde is India and South Asia Delegate to the Berlin International Film Festival, National Award-winning critic, curator to festivals worldwide and journalist.
Reach her at meenakshi.shedde@mid-day.com