Producers Vikesh Bhutani and Shujaat Saudagar say the Bafta win for their film Boong came as a surprise and reaffirmed their belief that cinema can bridge divides and foster unity.

The coming-of-age drama, directed by Lakshmipriya Devi, won the Best Children's and Family Film award at the 2026 Bafta ceremony held at the Royal Festival Hall here. It was the only Indian film nominated this year.

“Winning is something which is the cherry on the cake. I personally was not expecting a win. But once we made the shortlist, there was always hope,” Saudagar told PTI in an interview.

Boong follows a young boy searching for his absent father, hoping to bring him home as a surprise for his mother. Devi, who also wrote the film, accepted the trophy at the ceremony and was accompanied by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani of Excel Entertainment.

Bhutani and Saudagar produced the film under their banner Chalkboard Entertainment.

Bhutani said they backed the project for its universal appeal rather than any political considerations.

“We did not make this film with any preconceived ideas about the state’s politics... We did not think about where it was set,” he said, referring to the situation in Manipur, which has witnessed ethnic tensions and political unrest over the past year.

Bhutani, known for backing films such as The Mehta Boys and Gulmohar, said he was drawn to Devi’s vision.

"It was a universal relationship drama. We thought of taking it wherever we can. But whatever has happened becomes, like how we feel there's a hope after every crisis. A Manipuri film winning Bafta is a hope which means cinema can overcome any hatred, it can become a stepping stone towards bringing people together. So, if it can contribute a little bit from that angle, that's something which we’ve achieved,” he said.

Saudagar, who directed Farhan Akhtar’s 2016 film Rock On 2, said the film’s “global language and grammar” connected with international audiences.

“The film spoke universally, whether it’s a troubled place in India or anywhere in the world. Also, the journey of this kid and the innocence that children bring in dealing with these kinds of issues was fascinating because we've never seen it from a child's point of view. We've never seen it from that lens.”

The producers said filming in Manipur proceeded without major hurdles.

“Every state has its own set of conflicts. The clashes began the moment we finished filming and came back,” Saudagar said.

“Filming was the smoothest part of the whole journey. When we were scouting, when we were there during recce, we had certain obstructions there, but not big enough for us to not do the film. When we were shooting in Moreh, which borders Burma and Manipur, the communities came together and said, ‘We support you, do not worry, wherever you want to shoot, it's a border town, we will protect you’,” Bhutani added.

Both producers said Boong reflects a broader shift as independent Indian cinema gains international recognition.

“Five years back, we were not even talking about this. It all began with ‘All That Breathes’. The gap is narrowing quickly but we've got miles to go. It is also great to see big production houses like Dharma backing ‘Homebound’ and Excel backing Boong,” Saudagar said.

“As far as these films doing well in India, films like ‘Boong’ require that kind of distribution network and support to be watched even on a national scale. Awards like this, Bafta, Oscars, or Cannes or, Sundance, they give them impetus,” he said.

Released in 2025 with a limited theatrical run, Boong is now being considered for a wider theatrical re-release or a direct-to-OTT premiere.