When the Manipuri-language film Boong, directed by Lakshmipriya Devi, received recognition at the 79th British Academy Film Awards, popularly known as the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs), in the Best Children’s & Family Film category, it was more than a trophy on a distant stage. It was a defining cultural moment.
For India, it signified global acknowledgment of regional storytelling. For Manipur, it was a surge of pride that echoed through homes, streets, and social media feeds. In a state too often spoken of in the vocabulary of unrest and uncertainty, this recognition offered a different narrative, one of imagination, resilience, and artistic excellence.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the team, calling it a proud achievement for the nation. Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand also extended his appreciation. On Facebook, Khemchand wrote: “Lakshmi Priya Devi has consistently brought laurels through her outstanding work in cinema, and this latest honour further elevates the stature of Manipuri art and culture on the global stage.”
The applause was swift and deserved.
Yet beneath the euphoria lies an uncomfortable question: will this historic win become a turning point, or will it be another ceremonial high—celebrated, archived, and forgotten until the next international accolade allows the phrase “pride of Manipur” to be uttered once more?
A Long History, An Incomplete Institution
Manipur’s cinematic journey did not begin with Boong. The state produced its first feature film in 1972, marking the beginning of a five-decade engagement with cinema. Over the years, Manipuri films have found space at international festivals, admired for their rooted storytelling and cultural authenticity.
Talent has never been the problem. Infrastructure has.
In 2016, the Manipur State Film and Television Institute (MSFTI) was established at Palace Gate, Imphal, a move that appeared, at least on paper, to signal a serious commitment to film education. Nearly a decade later, however, MSFTI has yet to evolve into a full-fledged film school.
The institute has conducted short-term courses, workshops, and masterclasses. Directors and professionals have come and gone, offering temporary engagement. While such initiatives are not without merit, they cannot substitute for structured diploma or degree programmes in direction, cinematography, editing, sound design, or screenplay writing. The institute reportedly lacks permanent faculty and has not sustained comprehensive, long-term courses.
In effect, Manipur has an institute. But not an institution.
Meanwhile, aspiring filmmakers from the state continue to apply to the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), and various other film and mass communication institutes across the country and outside. They leave not merely in pursuit of opportunity, but out of necessity.
More troubling still is the absence of film studies in undergraduate curricula within the state. Apart from Manipur University, media and film education remain conspicuously scarce in local colleges. A generation of young people with cinematic ambition must therefore look beyond their homeland to acquire training that their own government has not thought fit to provide.
Recognition Without Reform
Every time a Manipuri film receives national or international acclaim, celebration is instantaneous. Social media banners are updated. Felicitation ceremonies are arranged. Statements are issued.
What is less immediate is reform.
The success of Boong should not be reduced to a performative moment of pride. It should compel the state to ask why, after more than fifty years of filmmaking, Manipur still lacks structured, sustained training infrastructure.
International validation proves that creative potential exists in abundance. What is missing is a policy framework that can transform sporadic brilliance into consistent excellence.
The likes of Ritwik Ghatak and many other towering figures in the world of filmmaking reminded us, “Cinema is a powerful medium.” The question is not whether Manipur can produce world-class films. Boong has already answered that. The question is whether Manipur is prepared to build the institutions that ensure such achievements are not accidents of individual genius, but the fruits of collective preparation.
The Voice of Experience: Aribam Syam Sharma’s Warning
Few voices carry as much authority in Manipuri cinema as Aribam Syam Sharma. Time and again, he has lamented the condition of MSFTI and its inability to provide structured courses. On multiple platforms, he has underlined that filmmaking is not an indulgence of instinct alone; it is a discipline requiring training, rigour, and critical engagement.
At a recent masterclass on film music composition organized by TCF Manipur and MSFTI, a participant asked him why films from Manipur’s old celluloid era often appear superior to many contemporary productions. His reply was disarmingly simple: “We need proper training on filmmaking.” The remark was neither nostalgic nor dismissive. It was diagnostic.
Digital technology has made filmmaking accessible. But accessibility without education often produces uneven craftsmanship. During the celluloid era, the technical and financial demands of filmmaking necessitated seriousness and preparation. Today, while barriers to entry have lowered, institutional scaffolding has not kept pace.
The answer is not to romanticise the past. It is to invest in the future.
The Politics of Image Versus the Politics of Institution
There is, moreover, an irony too stark to ignore.
In an age where many politicians are determined to curate their public image with professional social media teams, complete with videographers, content writers, and digital strategists, the state’s commitment to nurturing actual creative talent remains hesitant at best. Resources are found for optics; they are elusive for institutions.
One is reminded, cautiously and contextually, of Leni Riefenstahl, whose cinematic skill was harnessed by political power to shape perception. The comparison is not moral equivalence, but structural reflection: regimes have long understood the persuasive force of visual storytelling when it serves their narrative.
If cinema is powerful enough to polish political image, it is surely powerful enough to merit serious public investment in education and infrastructure.
As Martin Scorsese observed, “Cinema is a matter of what’s in the frame and what’s out.” In Manipur’s current cultural policy, celebration is emphatically in the frame; preparation is not.
Beyond Tokenism
It is expected that the Government of Manipur and film bodies will organise receptions and screenings of Boong within the state. Such events are appropriate. They honour achievement and inspire aspiration.
But if celebration is not accompanied by structural commitment, it becomes tokenism.
The transformation of MSFTI into a fully functional institute, with permanent faculty, accredited programmes, modern equipment, and stable funding, must move from rhetorical promise to administrative priority. Film studies should find space in undergraduate curricula. Colleges must introduce media courses. Lawmakers must understand that cinema is not a frivolous pastime; it is an art form, an industry, and a vehicle of cultural diplomacy.
As Federico Fellini famously said, “All art is autobiographical; the pearl is the oyster’s autobiography.” What story will Manipur’s institutions tell about its commitment to its artists?
A Turning Point or Another Pause?
The world has acknowledged Manipur’s cinematic voice. The BAFTA stage did not condescend; it recognised.
The choice now lies within the state. Will this moment lead to introspection and reform? Or will it follow a familiar pattern, celebrate, congratulate, and wait passively for another exceptional individual to carry the burden of representation?
As Andrei Tarkovsky wrote, “Art exists because the world is not perfect.” Boong has shown that Manipur possesses the imagination and artistic depth to reach the world. But imagination alone does not build institutions.
If the state can invest in managing its public image, it can certainly invest in nurturing its storytellers. The true tribute to this BAFTA victory will not be a ceremonial reception, it will be the day Manipur builds a film institute worthy of its talent.
The writer is a media scholar and professional
