Director Lakshmipriya Devi’s feature debut, “Bong,” a political exploration wrapped in a coming-of-age drama, follows the eponymous schoolboy on an adventure along India’s militarized eastern frontier. In his search for his missing father, Bong (Jojon Kipjen) helps paint a picture of modern-day Manipur, the isolated Indian state bordering Myanmar, at a time when a violent eruption seems inevitable.
But in reality, the state descended into ethnic strife shortly after Bong wrapped, making Devi’s film a bitter time capsule. When the film begins, Bong is a mischievous prankster with an amazing ability to aim. His father, Joykumar, taught him how to use a slingshot before he left for the border town of Moreh in search of work.
Bong’s teachers don’t know how to handle or punish his hilarious pranks, such as when he recites Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” when asked to lead his school in prayer. His mother, Mandakini (Bala Hegam), realizes that her son is struggling in this second-rate institution, so she transfers him to a more upscale school where English is the lingua franca, hoping to give him an advantage later in life. However, this also exposes Bong to a wider range of cultural discrimination, from the rich girl in his class who brags about a vacation in New Delhi, to the casual insults hurled at his dark-skinned best friend Raju (Anjum Sanamattom), an “outsider” whose father immigrated from the country’s interior.
Kibbijn and Sanamattom make a great duo, with Bhoj handling his new upended status quo with a smile and a cheeky air. However, his cheerful demeanor can only go so far. His father stops answering the family’s phone calls, and after a while, news reaches them that he may have died, though the circumstances of this news seem suspicious. Devi, on the other hand, uncovers a little story of intrigue away from Bhoj’s sight, as Mandakini begins to dig into Joykumar’s whereabouts, and why the local politicians might be so keen to announce his death. In the process, hints of the surrounding political tensions emerge, raising suspicions that Joykumar might be involved in some sort of rebel activity against the oppressive government.
But as for Bong, his father is simply away at work, and he believes that the cure for his mother’s illness lies in bringing Joy Kumar back to her as a surprise. To that end, he and Raju sneak into Moreh and start asking questions, revealing a multifaceted (and sometimes dangerous) tapestry that simply consists of Bong’s childhood adventure—a disconnect in narrative perspective that speaks volumes as the film progresses.
As questions arise about Joykumar’s whereabouts, Punj and Raju stumble through the search for possible answers that reveal to the audience a dynamic world along India’s borders, from migrant workers to Manipur’s thriving transgender community—both of whom, one might imagine, are likely to face danger from armed soldiers at every corner—though neither boy has the wherewithal to fully comprehend the breadth and beauty of their journey. However, once Punj finally learns the truth about his father, the energetic young boy is faced with a choice that requires a decisive step toward adulthood, one of many minor challenges he faces.
In her gentle approach to Bong’s story, Devi focuses on the innocence and naivety that are threatened by increasingly complex forces. Although she does not focus her lens on this evolving scenario, she makes it an ever-present part of the fabric of her film, ensuring that this political fabric remains inseparable from her intimate personal story.
