‘Boong’ Review: A Small Coming-of-Age Tale on India’s Eastern Border Disguises Larger Politics
variety.comSiddhant Adlakha A political exploration gift-wrapped in a coming-of-age drama, Lakshmipriya Devi‘s debut feature “Boong” follows its lively titular schoolboy on an adventure along India’s militarized eastern border.
In search of his missing father, Boong (a firecracker Gugun Kipgen) helps paint a portrait of modern Manipur, the isolated Indian state neighboring Myanmar, at a time when violent eruption feels all but inevitable.
As it happens, the state did, in fact, descend into ethnic conflict not long after “Boong” wrapped production, making Devi’s film a bittersweet time capsule.
When the film begins, Boong is a mischievous prankster with spectacular aim. His father, Joykumar, taught him how to use a slingshot before leaving for the border city of Moreh in search of work.
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