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‘Boong’ Review: A Small Coming-of-Age Tale on India’s Eastern Border Disguises Larger Politics
Lakshmipriya Devi's feature debut 'Boong' disguises a wider cultural portrait beneath its tale of childhood.
However, this also exposes Boong to a wider cross-section of cultural discrimination, from the rich girl in his class who boasts about vacationing in New Delhi, to the casual slurs thrown the way of his endearing, dark-skinned best friend Raju (Angom Sanamatum), an “outsider” whose father migrated from the nation’s interior. In order to achieve this, he and Raju sneak away to Moreh and begin asking around, revealing a multi-faceted (and at times dangerous) tapestry that simply comprises a childlike adventure for Boong — a disconnect in narrative point of view that speaks volumes the further the film goes on. As questions about Joykumar’s whereabouts are raised, Boong and Raju stumble toward potential answers that reveal, to the audience, a dynamic world along India’s border, from migrant workers to Manipur’s blossoming transgender community — both of whom, one might intuit, likely face dangers from the armed soldiers at every corner — through neither boy has the wherewithal to full absorb the breadth and beauty of their journey.
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