India (Commonwealth Union)_ Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin honored Bomman and Bellie, the indigenous couple who appeared in The Elephant Whisperers, the Oscar-winning documentary short film. Honoring the Oscar-winning couple, Mr. Stalin awarded them INR 1 lakh each. In addition, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu presented INR 1 lakh to each of the 91 employees at two elephant camps in the state. Further, the elephant camps’ employees would also receive eco-friendly and culturally sensitive housing. Mr. Stalin also stated that a new camp would be established in Coimbatore.
Mr Stalin appreciated the Tamil Nadu Forest Department’s care towards protecting elephants. He said, “The film has drawn the world’s attention to the Tamil Nadu Forest Department’s care for elephants”. The film was shot in Tamil Nadu. The documentary The Elephant Whisperers follows the story of Raghu, an orphaned elephant calf, who is placed in the care of Bomman and Bellie, an indigenous couple belonging to the Kattunayakan tribe residing in the scenic Mudumalai woods in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu.
The 40-minute documentary, made by Kartiki Gonsalves and produced by Guneet Monga, revolves around the love that develops between the elephant and the couple. Following the success of the film and its Oscar victory, a large number of people and tourists are visiting the Mudumalai Theppakadu elephant camp to see the young elephant. The remaining four Documentary Short candidates were Haulout, The Martha Mitchell Effect, Stranger At The Gate, and How Do You Measure A Year? The Elephant Whisperers is the first film from India to receive an Academy Award in this category.
During her winning speech, Ms Gonsalves said, “I stand here today to speak on the sacred bond between us and our natural world. For the respect of indigenous communities. For entities towards other living beings, we share our space with. And finally, for co-existence”. She added, “Thank you to the academy for recognizing our film highlighting indigenous people and animals. To Netflix for believing in the power of this film. To Guneet, my producer, and my entire team and finally to my mother, father, and sister who are up there somewhere, you are the center of my universe. To my motherland India.”
