by Suman Gupta
Mumbai, March 23rd, 2023 Netflix India hosted the official celebration for its Oscar winning documentary, The Elephant Whisperers in Mumbai with filmmakers, Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga. 13th March, 2023 was a proud moment for India when Netflix’s The Elephant Whisperers made history by becoming the first film produced in India to win an Academy Award in the “Documentary Short Film” category at the 95th Oscars. To make this occasion even more special, Bomman and Bellie, the protagonists of the documentary, joined a very special press conference, coming all the way from the Theppakadu Elephant camp in Tamil Nadu. They both shared their feelings of utmost joy and gratitude of being recognized and celebrated locally and globally.
This year India won two Academy Awards, one for The Elephant Whisperers and one for RRR. Both films are streaming on Netflix.
Director Kartiki Gonsalves, Guneet Monga and Achin Jain of Sikhya Entertainment and Monika Shergill, Vice-President-Content, Netflix India, spoke about the journey of The Elephant Whisperers from its inception to its release, and finally, its win at the 95th Academy Awards. Bomman and Bellie addressed the gathering on the importance of teaching children that they need to love animals and protect them. They spoke as parents of Raghu and Amu, the two orphaned elephant calves and their newest calf. Kartiki spoke about her bond with Bomman, Bellie, Raghu and Ammu, which only grew stronger over the five years of filming. The filmmakers highlighted the beauty and urgency of the heartwarming story which speaks of the bond between indigenous people, animals and the planet. They also said that the journey of developing the story with Netflix and taking it to 190 countries around the world was critical to the success the film received. Both Kartiki and Guneet were elated at being the first Indian women creators to achieve this milestone for an Indian production, and encouraged women and young filmmakers to dream big and be determined to make it happen.
On the historic win for an Indian Netflix Production, Monika Shergill, Vice President Content, Netflix India said, “We are honored to be part of the heartwarming journey of The Elephant Whisperers along with the team of Kartiki and Sikhya. Bomman and Bellie’s story as the parents to baby elephants Ammu and Raghu is a celebration of the bond between humans and nature. As Netflix, we loved the vision of the creators and knew it was a truly inspirational local story from the beginning that would have universal appeal.”
On being celebrated as the first Indian woman Director to win the Oscars, Kartiki said, “The Elephant Whisperers is a very special film of the sacred bond between man and nature. Having grown up in this very space, I wanted the world to see and experience the immense beauty of this breathtaking landscape. Being celebrated at the Academy Awards feels so surreal and I am very thankful for the partnership of my mentor Douglas Blush, Bomman and Bellie, my parents, Sven Faulconer, Karan, Krish, Anand, my film crew, Sony India, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, Sikhya and Netflix and finally to each person who has poured love into this film. I hope this win encourages a new generation of documentary filmmakers to share their stories and the beauty of our country.”
Sharing her thoughts on the prestigious win, Producer, Guneet Monga of Sikhya Entertainment said, ““This is our first film set in wildlife, and it has been a wonderful journey with Kartiki, Bomman, Bellie and the baby elephants. We got to learn so much about nature and we are grateful that Kartiki chose us for this story. We are glad that Netflix empowered us throughout this journey. We started Sikhya with a vision to tell heartland stories and it has been our endeavour to give them a global footprint. The Academy’s recognition for The Elephant Whisperers has inspired me and my team to double down on this vision. We will continue to collaborate with new filmmakers and find such heartfelt stories. This award belongs to the extraordinary stories hidden in the most ordinary corners around us. It belongs to the indigenous communities of our beautiful India. You inspire us!”
