‘Papa Buka’ – Odisha’s Akshay Kumar Parija Takes his new Cinema to the Oscars with Papua New Guinea Collaboration
New Delhi: An Indo-Pacific historical drama becomes PNG’s official entry for the 98th Academy Awards, celebrating India’s global storytelling reach.History has been written. Papa Buka, the first-ever Indian-Papua New Guinean cinematic partnership, will be PNG's entry in the Best International Feature Film category at the 98th Academy Awards in 2026. This milestone is led by Odisha's two-time National Award and 40-plus State Award-winning producer, Akshay Kumar Parija, and the Papua New Guinea Government.Spearheaded by three-time National Award-winning director Dr. Bijukumar Damodaran, the film is a tribute to PNG's Golden Jubilee of Independence. Its core revolves around a long-forgotten chapter of common history, Indian soldiers who battled in PNG during World War II and whose bodies lie ...










