'The Elephant Whisperers,' directed by Kartiki Gonsalves and produced by Guneet Monga's Sikhya Entertainment Company, was one of three...
Digital Desk: "The Elephant Whisperers," an emotional Indian film about the indestructible friendship between an abandoned elephant and their two keepers, won an Oscar on Monday. Kartiki Gonsalves' documentary earned first place in the Documentary Short category at the 95th Academy Awards.
The documentary, which is available on Netflix, focuses on the relationship between humans and animals. It also reinforces the greater message of elephant conservation and protection.
The film stars Bomman and Bellie, a couple in Tamil Nadu's Mudumalai National Park who devote their lives to caring for orphaned baby elephants Raghu and Ammu, establishing a family unlike any other.
Gonsalves dedicated the honour to her "motherland, India," as well as her family.
The film, produced by Guneet Monga, marks Gonsalves' debut, and he feels that Indian stories have the potential to be recognised around the world.
About The Director:
Kartiki Gonsalves, who grew up and now lives in Tamil Nadu, has been interested in wildlife photography since she was 15 years old.
Kartiki's meeting with the protagonists-
She said, Six years ago, Gonsalves met Bomman and Raghu while driving from Bangalore to Ooty through the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.
"They were walking alongside the road. Bomman, an elephant carer, was taking Raghu, an elephant calf, for a bath in the river. "I pulled over and joined them," she explained.
"I saw Raghu's connection to Bomman and the kind of connection they shared."
"The Elephant Whisperers" competed with "Haulout," "How Do You Measure a Year?", "The Martha Mitchell Effect," and Malala Yousafzai's "Stranger at the Gate" in the Documentary Short category at the Oscars in 2023.
The New York Times predicted a win for "The Elephant Whisperers," saying the film is "so aesthetically beautiful and transporting" that it can defeat Yousafzai's star power.
Previously, two Indian entries, "Smile Pinki" and "Period. End Of Sentence," won Oscars in the Documentary Short category in 2008 and 2018, respectively. "Period" was produced by Monga.
