India, Sept. 11 -- Actor Ritabhari Chakraborty headlines Dr. Biju's Papa Buka, a landmark India-Papua New Guinea co-production that has just been selected as Papua New Guinea's inaugural submission to the Academy Awards in the International Feature Film category. This marks the Pacific nation's first-ever Oscar entry.

In this exclusive interaction with Hindustan Times, the acclaimed actor opened up about her experience working on the film, the conscious decisions she has taken to break away from stereotypes, and more. (Excerpts)

Papa Buka unfolds against the backdrop of World War II, when native Papua New Guineans assisted Australian and Allied soldiers against the Japanese, while many Indian soldiers, serving under the British Army, fo...