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www.newsindiatimes.com – that’s all you need to know . i i i . – t ’ a l y n t k News India Times (July 4, 2026 - July 10, 2026) July 10, 2026 26 Entertainment “Thrilled And Proud”: Farah Khan Invited By Academy To Join Oscar Voting Panel F ilmmaker-choreographer Farah Khan said she is “thrilled and proud” after learning that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited her to join its 2026 membership. The Academy has extended invitations to 529 artists and executives from around the world this year, with Far- ah among several renowned names selected to become members and participate in the Oscar voting process. In an Instagram post, she wrote, “Thrilled & proud to be a part of this esteemed group.. #oscars #ampas #academyofmotionpictureartsand- sciences @choreographersquild @premrakshith_chore- ographer.” Other Indians featured on the list include filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj, acclaimed for films such as Maqbool, Omkara, and Haider. He is joined by veteran editor A. Sreekar Prasad, along with Deepa Bhatia, a multiple Na- tional Award-winning editor with a career spanning over 45 years, known for her work on landmark films includ- ing RRR, Dil Chahta Hai, and Saathiya. Bhatia is widely recognized for her editorial contribu- tions to films such as ‘Taare Zameen Par’, ‘Rock On!!’, ‘My Name Is Khan’, and ‘Kai Po Che’. The invitee list also includes costume designer Eka Lakhani, casting director Dilip Shankar, and documenta- ry filmmaker Shalini Kantayya. Lakhani is known for her costume design work across major film projects, while Shankar has built a reputation as a leading casting direc- tor. Kantayya has earned recognition for her contribu- tions to documentary cinema. Several professionals with strong links to the Indian film industry have also been invited. These include Avneet Kaur in the Animation branch, and Rajesh Ram- achandran in Production and Technology, and Becky Graham and Jay Mehta in Visual Effects. By accepting the invitation, the professionals will become part of an elite global body of more than 11,000 Academy members, as per Variety. Membership grants full voting rights, allowing them to participate in select- ing Oscar nominees and winners. - ANI PHOTO:ANI Boong Review: A Boy, A Missing Father, And A Journey That Changes Everything L ast year, while preparing en- tertainment news for ITV Gold in New Jersey, I came across a story about a Manipuri-lan- guage film called Boong. The headline immediately stood out—a debut feature produced by Far- han Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani’s Excel Entertainment, directed by first-time filmmaker Lakshmipriya Devi, and already gaining global attention after a BAFTA win for Best Children’s and Family Film. A brief TV news story I did at the time unexpectedly crossed 100,000 views, reflecting growing curios- ity around the film—and my own interest only deepened from there. That curiosity turned into antici- pation when Boong was selected as the opening feature of the 26th NewYork Indian Film Festival. I had even prepared questions for the director, Lak- shmipriya Devi, but due to passport-related delays, she could not attend the festival. The film, however, arrived— and made a lasting impression. From its opening moments, Boong draws the audi- ence into the world of a spirited young boy fromManipur who refuses to accept that his missing father may never return. Within the first minute, the theatre erupted in laugh- ter as Boong uses a handmade slingshot—crafted by his father—to knock letters off a school signboard, instantly establishing him as mischievous, fearless, and full of imagination. Played with striking charm by Gugun Kipgen, Boong is both playful and vulnerable. He lives with his resilient mother, portrayed by Bala Hijam, and quietly dreams of bringing his missing father home as a surprise gift for her. With his loyal best friend Raju, he sets off toward Moreh, the border town between India and Myanmar, convinced he can find answers himself. What follows is a road journey that blends humor, adventure, and emotional discovery. The film shifts ef- fortlessly between laughter, tension, and quiet moments of tenderness, always seen through the eyes of children who are far more capable—and far more fragile—than they realize. At its core, Boong succeeds because it never conde- scends to its characters or manipulates its audience. Instead, it allows humor, friendship, loss, and hope to coexist naturally. The setting adds another layer of depth. Manipur is portrayed with striking beauty and cultural richness, but also as a region marked by recent unrest. The filmmak- ers later revealed that violent clashes erupted shortly after filming ended, affecting several people connected to the production—a reality that deepens the film’s emotional resonance. Boong is not just a story about a boy searching for his father. It is a story about belonging, home, and iden- tity—and about a region that is too often underrepresented in mainstream cinema. At the NewYork Indian Film Festival screening, the response was visibly emo- tional. Members of the Manipuri community in the audience reacted with pride and connection to the story. For me, Boong stands out as one of the most memo- rable opening films the festival has presented in recent years. It is funny without excess, emotional without senti- mentality, and quietly powerful without ever becoming preachy. Rooted in its local world, it still speaks to univer- sal human experience. While the BAFTA recognition has brought interna- tional attention to the film, what stays with you is not the award—but the honesty of its storytelling and the emotional truth of its characters. Some of the most affecting stories do not come from large budgets or global campaigns. Sometimes they come from a small town in Manipur, carried by a child with a slingshot, a question, and a dream—and those are the stories that linger longest. By Nidhi Kathuria, Sara Jahan Films