Papa Buka, a co-production between Papua New Guinea (PNG) and India, has created history by becoming PNG’s first Oscar entry for the best international feature film at the 98th Academy Awards to be held in 2026. The film is produced by twice National Award-winning director from Orissa, Akshay Kumar Parija, and the government of PNG. It is directed by Dr. Bijukumar Damodaran, a thrice National Award-winning director renowned for his socially relevant films.
Made to mark the 50th anniversary of PNG’s independence, the film is about a lesser-known chapter of history. It is the story of Indian soldiers who had fought in PNG during World War II as part of the Allied Forces. Ritabhari Chakraborty and Prakash Bare play leading roles in the film for which music has been composed by Grammy Award-winning Padma Shri Ricky Kej. Celebrated Tamil filmmaker Pa Ranjith, actor-producer Prakash Bare and PNG’s NAFA Productions are the co-producers.
