Boong (2024) TIFF Review: A Heartfelt Tribute To Manipur, In An Effort To Restore The Joy, Love, Friendship, And Tranquillity That Once Reverberated The Land’s Valleys And Hills

Have you ever been to Manipur?
If you have, you will fall in love with the land there. If you haven’t, Director Lakshmpriya Devi brings Manipur to the world through the eyes of a schoolboy called ‘Boong’ (Gugun Kipgen), in her debut film.

In the language of Manipuri, ‘boong’ means ‘little boy’. Boong is brilliant, cocky and has a heart of gold. The movie’s opening had me in splits- Boong catapults the letters off the school’s name board at the gate so that it becomes ‘Homo Boys’ School’! The headmaster naturally accuses him and challenges him to sing the morning school prayer in English. He does so confidently, singing a rendition of Madonna’s ‘Like a Virgin’. As expected, his mother is called and he admits that he intended to get expelled. So, she allows him to attend an English school as he desires, as she believes “You will never grow up in a place where you are not happy”.

His father abruptly left during his early childhood to pursue a furniture business opportunity of selling ‘the best Burma teak furniture’ in the India-Myanmar border town of Moreh. Therefore, Boong lives with his mother, Mandakini (Bala Hijam Ningthoujam), a strong independent woman who bravely raises him single-handedly in a vicinity where it is frowned upon.

Mandakini (she resembles Lily Gladstone from some angles!) makes ends meet through a handloom business in the local market where she sells ‘phi’ i.e. sarees (a garment consisting of a length of cotton or silk elaborately draped around the body, traditionally worn by women), for a living. She yearns for her husband’s return almost as vehemently as Boong wishes for their little family’s reunification. One day, Boong decides to gift his mother the best surprise gift ever- bring back his father home.

Kipgen’s portrayal of ‘Boong’ embodies a character who withstands absolute resilience in pursuit of his father, not considering state borders and vast distances to be substantial barriers. Through his journeys, he is accompanied by his best friend, Raju Agarwal ((Angom Sanamatum), who is treated by the neighbourhood as an outsider due to being of Rajasthani origin. His father, Sudhir Agarwal (Vikram Kochhar) also faces discrimination from the locals despite running a flourishing business and speaking fluent Manipuri. But despite the pressure to discontinue their friendship with an outsider and the ethnic strife, Boong is unfazed and blindly loves and relies on his closest buddy despite all of the difficulties they encounter.

Although Mandakini herself wishes to go in search of her husband, some fear of knowing the truth stops her. Is he dead? Is he alive? A part of her refuses to acknowledge the need for his return. But when she is faced with a fake letter that claims he is no more, she is forced to revise her beliefs. At one point in the movie, she walks into his village-arranged death ceremony, snatches his photo and walks away telling the stunned fake mourners to “Please celebrate your own death ceremony”.

These circumstances lead Boong and Raju, on a road-trip across Manipur and even Myanmar. They both succeed in persuading Raju’s father and his mother that they must go on a field trip. Then they confidently make a risky detour on a cross-border journey in the quest for his father, assisted on the way by his enemy-turned-crush schoolgirl, Juliana Kipgen. Along the way, they meet several individuals who help them including a revolutionary drag queen “JJ” – I mean who would hesitate to help two adorable schoolboys?

Cinematographer Tanay Satam masterfully captures the x-factor of this film, which is enhanced by the bustle of Manipuri village life, verandas, dimly lit rooms, foot trips, border crossings, and the amazing, wide countryside. The strong brightness that permeates the daylight is in stark contrast to the well-lit darkness seen indoors. Satam’s interpretation of the beautiful scenery, the suspense of the pursuit, and the emotions of the characters are deftly displayed.

A shout-out to Lakshmipriya Devi for a remarkable debut! This coming-of-age story is filled with unexpected sequences, backed by stellar acting performances. It also highlights several factors in today’s world- ethnic racial discrimination, struggles of single parenting, lying and the chaos of political turmoil. Ultimately, sometimes even a child is forced to grow up rapidly when thrown into unsavoury situations. And sometimes….just sometimes, maybe it is better to not seek the truth. That is, until and unless you are prepared to face it, come whatsoever.