Three-time Grammy winner Ricky Kej has composed the background score for Papa Buka, marking Papua New Guinea’s first official entry to the Oscars in the Best International Feature Film (Tok Pisin) category. The film is directed by three-time National Film Award winner Dr Biju (Bijukumar Damodaran).
Padma Shri awardee Kej expressed his pride: “The joy lies in creating music rooted in history that dates back over 3,000 years. This collaboration tells the story of Indian historians searching for an indigenous World War II veteran to uncover forgotten secrets.”
For the score, Kej drew inspiration from tribal sounds, indigenous instruments, jungle rhythms, archival recordings, and natural soundscapes to match the film’s subtle narrative. The film stars Sine Boboro, John Sike, Ritabhari Chakraborty, and Prakash Bare.
Kej’s body of work includes Adrishya Jalakangal (2023), the National Award-winning documentary Wild Karnataka (2020) narrated by Sir David Attenborough, and Hollywood project MR-9: Do or Die (2023). His upcoming project is Wild Tamil Nadu, and his latest album, Gandhi: Mantras of Compassion, was created with Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi and musicians from 40 countries.
Kej maintains a focus on films with social impact, which explains his absence from mainstream Bollywood projects. He said: “I love watching Hindi films, but I can’t do item numbers or misogynistic songs. I choose music that represents me.”
