India, Feb. 27 -- Director Lakshmipriya Devi's debut film Boong has made history as the first Indian movie to win a BAFTA Award. Actor Vikram Kochhar, the only Bollywood name in the Manipuri-language film, calls the moment "extremely elating" yet bittersweet. "It's a proud moment for all of us, especially with Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulating the team. I'm happy my choice to back indie cinema paid off. But it's also sad that we're celebrating the film only after the West recognised it," he says. Released last year, the film struggled for screens in India. "My parents in Hyderabad and friends in Bengaluru couldn't watch it due to no-shows. It did well at festivals and in the UK, but back home, it's a brutal reality. We watch global content like K-dramas, yet we failed to support our own," Vikram adds. The 42-year-old reveals he signed the film while shooting Dunki (2023) where Lakshmipriya was assisting director Rajkumar Hirani. He shares, "Raju sir even offered me an ad with actors Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi, but I turned it down as I had committed to Boong. I believed in the film, just never imagined it would win a BAFTA."...