Papa Buka: PNG’s debut Oscar entry

Dr Bijukumar’s Papa Buka, an Indian-Papua New Guinea collab venture, is set to be PNG’s first-ever official submission to the Oscars, in the Best International Feature Film category. The film’s Kolkata connect is with actress Ritabhari Chakraborty in the cast, alongside India’s Prakash Bare and 85-year-old PNG tribal leader Sine Boboro. Ritabhari, who is proud and emotional about this, talks to us about the thrill of the Oscars submission, her experience filming on the island, and more. Excerpts. Ritabhari has never seen herself as just a Tollywood actor. “I don’t limit myself to being a Bengali actor. From Painting Life to Pari and now Papa Buka, I’ve chosen projects that step beyond linguistic boundaries. Sometimes cinema entertains, and that’s beautiful. But sometimes it challenges—and when done right, it reminds us that cinema is a craft far deeper thanentertainment alone,” she added.Ritabhari, who plays Romila, an Indian historian whose journey in the film becomes our lens into the world of indigenous knowledge, resilience, and spiritual connection. “We see Papua New Guinea through her eyes — the land, its stories, and its people — and that in itself is a tribute to both countries. As someone representing India on this global stage, I’m equally proud to be carrying Bengal with me — the land I come from, the culture that shaped me. To have Bengal’s voice, presence, and spirit be part of a film that is now being seen by the world… that’s something I hold very close to my heart. This film is not just cinema. It’s remembrance, collaboration, and legacy — and I’m honored to be a part of it,” said the actress with a smile.Ritabhari said that she shot for the last year in PNG, and it was unlike any other experience she’s had. “I did not know the language of the film so all I could do was be completely present,” she said. The film unfolds through the eyes of Romila, the character Ritabhari portrays. “At one point, I stopped being able to tell the difference between Romila and Ritabhari,” shared the actress. She said that the fact that PNG, though geographically close to Australia, connects with India in history through the WWII is what makes the film so impactful, adding, “It’s a theme rarely explored on screen, up until now.”When we reached out to Dr Bijukumar, he said: “I am thrilled that my film has been selected to represent Papua New Guinea at the Oscars; I feel a great responsibility has been placed on me. It is a story that involves both our countries and is based on World War 2 history.” The film has been three years in the making, after I met some officials at a film festival. Dr Biju said that the crew had help of local university students — consisting about 60 per cent of women — whom they mentored through the process of filming. The multi-lingual film, Dr Biju informs, is in Papua New Guinean language Tok Pisin, Hindi, English and Bengali, and was shot in the captial city of Port Moresby and a national park, which housed the village of the Sogeri indigenous people. Grammy winner Ricky Kej has composed the music for the film, which has been shot by Yedhu Radhakrishnan. Tamil filmmaker Pa Ranjith is one of the producers of the project.This film is a tribute to the shared histories of India and Papua New Guinea, and a symbol of cultural resilience and cross-border collaboration. To be in their first Oscar submission, during their 50th year of independence, is an honour – Ritabhari ChakrabortyThere are now about 5k Indian-origin people living in Papua New Guinea. Their film industry is still in a nascent stage- Dr BijukumarThe Oscars submission feels surreal. It’s a manifestation of creating with intent & trusting that good work finds the right audience – Ritabhari ChakrabortyLinguistic barriers never mattered to me-Ritabhari ChakrabortyInputs by: Anna Matthews