Three-time Grammy winner Ricky Kej has composed the background score for Papa Buka, Papua New Guinea’s first-ever official entry to the Oscars. Directed by three-time National Film Award winner Dr Biju (Bijukumar Damodaran), the film has been selected in the Best International Feature Film (Tok Pisin) category.

Calling it a proud moment, Padma Shri awardee Kej says, “It’s the first step on the Oscars race, but for me, the joy lies in creating music rooted in history that dates back over 3,000 years. This collaboration between India and Papua New Guinea 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. “It’s a very subtle film, so the music had to be in sync with it. I studied raw tribal music, indigenous instruments, jungle sounds, rhythms, archival recordings and natural sound-scapes to create it,” he says.

The film’s cast includes actors Sine Boboro, John Sike, Ritabari Chakraborty and Prakash Bare in leading roles.

The musician has an illustrious body of work — from Adrishya Jalakangal (2023), an anti-war Malayalam film with Dr Biju, to Wild Karnataka (2020), a National Award-winning documentary narrated by Sir David Attenborough and Hollywood’s MR-9: Do or Die (2023) where actors Frank Grillo and Michael Jai White were the antagonist while the protagonist was an Asian.

His upcoming project is Wild Tamil Nadu. His most recent album, Gandhi: Mantras of Compassion, was created with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Satyarthi and over 200 musicians from 40 countries.

Kej admits he chooses films only if they have strong social impact. That’s why, despite his global work, he has yet to compose for Bollywood: “I love watching Hindi films but I can’t do item numbers or misogynistic songs. I’ve stuck to music that represents me, and perhaps that’s why I’ve won three Grammys. Still, I’d love to compose for Bollywood someday.”