Boong (2024 | India | 93 minutes | Lakshmipriya Devi)

Boong (Gugun Kipgen) is a precocious kid that lives for getting into playful trouble, more annoying than harmful, with his best friend Raju (Angom Sanamatum). He’s too smart for his own good sometimes, but he knows what’s important. A lot of his personality comes from his strong, bull-headed and fiercely protective mother Mandakini (Bala Hijam Ningthoujam); both looking out for the other since his father left for Morah on the border of Myanmar. Boong’s prayers that his father will return in time for Holi go unanswered, and soon after their in-laws come to hand over his wedding ring and personal effects claiming he passed away. Unconvinced, Boong sneaks away for a road trip to Morah with Raju where he learns that the bigger world holds truths a young boy should never have to face.

I’ll start out saying the young but talented Gugun created an emotionally compelling, yet sweetly flawed character in the young Boong and he deserves to get on youth awards lists. Angom, playing his buddy Raju, is also a great straight man that elevates his performance that much more. Grappling with several very adult issues from racism to infidelity, gender identity to classism from a child’s perspective was done with a subtlety that focused on the main storyline but in the context of an imperfect and often ugly reality. It revealed issues that those of us on a different continent may not directly know about, but can relate to on a deep level. In short, it was a relatable, sweet, frustrating and eye-opening story worth hearing.

---

Boong has two in-person showings and available with a SIFF Streaming ticket
5/22 – SIFF Cinema Uptown @ 1pm
5/25 – AMC Pacific Place @ 4pm