Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin felicitates Oscar-winner ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ director Kartiki Gonsalves

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin felicitates Kartiki Gonsalves, the director of the Oscar-winning documentary ‘The Elephant Whisperers’
| Photo Credit: @CMOTamilnadu/Twitter

Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin on Tuesday felicitated filmmaker Kartiki Gonsalves for her Oscar-winning documentary The Elephant Whisperers in Chennai. CM Stalin presented a shawl and memento to Kartiki.

Notably, the Chief Minister felicitated and awarded ₹1 lakh each to Bomman and Bellie, the mahouts seen in the documentary. He also announced funding assistance for the construction of houses for all mahouts and cavadis at the Mudumalai and Anamalai elephant camps.

Producer Guneet Monga’s The Elephant Whisperers, a documentary directed by Kartiki, paved the way for many to believe that India truly can take the centre stage globally. It won the Oscar in the ‘Best Documentary Short Film’ category against Haulout,   How Do You Measure a Year?,   The Martha Mitchell Effect and   Stranger at the Gate.

In her winning speech, Gonsalves said, “I stand here today to speak for the sacred bond between us and our natural world, for the respect of indigenous communities, and empathy towards other living beings we share space with and finally, for coexistence. Thank you to the Academy for recognising our film, and highlighting indigenous people and animals. To Netflix for believing in the power of this. To Bomman and Belli for sharing their sacred tribal wisdom. To Guneet, my producer. To my entire team and finally, to my mother, father and sister who are up there somewhere and you are the centre of my universe, to my motherland India.”

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The film tells a heartwarming story of an indigenous couple who have been given an orphaned elephant, Raghu, to look after. The story follows the couple’s journey as they relentlessly work to ensure Raghu’s recovery and survival. The short documentary beautifully stitches the tale of how the couple falls in love with the majestic creature over the course of time. Set against the background of life in the wild spaces of South India, The Elephant Whisperers highlights the beauty of exotic wildlife, unforgettable wild spaces, the people and animals who share this space.

The documentary is produced by Guneet Monga and Achin Jain under the banner of Sikhya Entertainment.