BAFTA-winning Manipuri film Boon has been selected as the opening night selection of the 2026 New York Indian Film Festival to be held from May 28th to 31st in New York City, with a 4K restored screening of the Bollywood classic Sholay kicking off the event at the Gala Preview Night on May 28th.
The restored ‘Sholay’ print will be shown with the original ending. Director Laxmipriya Devi will be attending the opening night screening of Boon on May 29th and will participate in a post-screening discussion. Set in Manipur, the film follows a boy trying to bring home his absent father, weaving together themes of longing, identity and fractured family life through the landscape of a border town.
“With Boon, we kick off the festival with a wonderful film that combines humor and struggle in India’s rarely visited regions,” said Aseem Chhabra, Festival Director of NYIFF. “This film is authentic, grounded, internationally recognized and truly a NYIFF champion film. The film won the BAFTA over two major Disney-produced nominees.”
The film festival’s centerpiece slot will go to the world premiere of “Acacia Flower,” which will be screened on May 30th. This Punjabi film is the second feature film of Punjabi-based filmmaker Anmol Sidhu, whose debut was Jaggi, and will be directed by Shonali Bose. The film focuses on grasping the patriarchal practices in Indian society.
The special evening will also feature the 25th anniversary screening of ‘Dil Chahta Hai’, Farhan Akhtar’s directorial debut and long considered a touchstone of modern urban Hindi cinema.
The festival will conclude on May 31 with the New York premiere of the Marathi film “Taigi” (Motherhood), directed by first-time director Jeejivisha Kher and produced by Indian National Film Award-winning director Nikhil Mahajan. Lead actors Neha Pendse and Sonali Kulkarni will also be present. The film centers on two long-estranged sisters who come back together in the wake of a family crisis, and explores issues such as sacrifice, duty, and the weight of unresolved history.
“It’s incredibly special to close out the festival with ‘Tiggy,'” said Suman Golamudi, executive director of the Indo-American Arts Council. “This film is a rare display of emotional intelligence, intimate, powerful and deeply human, leaving audiences with a sense of reflection and connection.”
