Bhubaneswar: Odia filmmaker Akshay Kumar Parija has taken the state’s cinema to a global level. His latest film, Papa Buka, as co-producer, has been selected as Papua New Guinea’s official entry for the 98th Academy Awards (Oscars) 2026 in the Best International Feature Film category.
This is the first-ever film made jointly by India and Papua New Guinea (PNG). It tells a powerful and emotional story about Indian soldiers who fought in PNG during World War II and were buried there, far away from home. The plot is inspired by the real-life visits of Indian leaders— President Pranab Mukherjee in 2016 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2023—to PNG’s Bomana War Cemetery. Many Indian soldiers who died during the war were buried there, but their stories were never told.
Directed by Dr. Bijukumar Damodaran, a three-time National Award winner, and co-produced by Tamil maverick Pa Ranjith, versatile actor-producer Prakash Bare, and PNG’s NAFA Productions (headed by Noelene Taula Wunum), the film stars the dynamic Ritabhari Chakraborty and Bare himself in the lead roles. Grammy-winner Ricky Kej composed the movie’s music, bringing a hauntingly beautiful score to a film rooted in memory and loss.
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With Papa Buka, Odisha’s film industry is now part of a global journey. The movie joins the legacy of Indian films like Lagaan and The Elephant Whisperers, which made India proud at the Oscars.
