CO-PRODUCTION
Indian filmmaker Dr. Bijukumar Damodaran‘s next film “Papa Buka” will commence principal photography in Papua New Guinea in July. The film will follow Indian historians Romila and Anand who go to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, to write a book about the Indian soldiers who fought with the British and Australian armies against the Japanese during WWII in the country. They find 80-year-old war veteran Papa Buka who serves as a guide to take them to remote jungle villages to meet his compatriots and record their reminiscences of the war. The journey throws up some unexpected events.
The cast includes Ritabari Chakraborty (“Fatafati”) and Prakash Bare (“Pendulum”). The score is by Grammy winner Ricky Kej. The film is a rare India-Papua New Guinea production. Indian companies, Pa. Ranjith and Aditi Anand’s Neelam Productions along with Bare’s Silicon Media are producing the film alongside Native Arts And Fashion Academy (NAFA) Productions in Papua New Guinea. Producers include Ranjith, Cathy Angeline Mereun Sike and Bare.
The project was announced on Tuesday by Inbasekar Sundaramurti, Indian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands and Noelene Taula Wunum (NAFA) along with executive producer Parul Agrawal, production controller Adhya Prasad, editor Davis Manuel and production designer Dileep Daz in attendance.
Damodaran, known popularly as Dr. Biju, is well-known on the Indian and international film festival circuit. His films have been honored at India’s National Film Awards thrice. International accolades include “Veyilmarangal” (“Trees Under The Sun,” 2019) winning one of the top awards at Shanghai and “Painting Life” (2018) the Critics’ Award at Oporto.
Damodaran said: “Papua New Guinea is a treasure trove of compelling stories and untapped potential. We are eager to collaborate with local artists and students to bring these unique narratives to the global audience through the art of cinema. This venture underscores our commitment to fostering cross-cultural exchanges and celebrating the rich tapestry of human experiences and stories. Through the artistic melding of Indian and Papua New Guinean creativities, we aim to create a film that transcends geographical and cultural boundaries.”
Source Agencies
