The first Indian production to win an Oscar, ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ documents the bond that developed between two pachyderms and their keepers and makes a powerful comment on love and its ability to create harmony between humans and nature.
When Priscilla Gonsalves wrote the story of ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ and Kartiki Gonsalves decided to make her directorial debut with it, little did the two talented ladies know that this passion project would bag itself an Oscar. Backed by another accomplished producer, Guneet Monga of Sikhya Entertainment, and Achin Jain, who both believed in and backed the project, this little gem went on to make a big global impact.
Set in the century-old Theppakadu Elephant Camp at Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, The Elephant Whisperers won the Best Documentary Short Film at the 95th Academy Awards – the first Indian production to win an Oscar.
The 40-minute film by Kartiki Gonsalves follows the story of Bomman, a Kattunayakan tribe priest, and his wife, Bellie, who foster orphaned elephant calves. The Forest Department assigned them two baby elephants to raise — Raghu, a weak calf separated from his herd after his mother was electrocuted by a fence, and Baby Ammu, another orphan.
The Elephant Whisperers shows us the beauty of exotic wildlife, unforgettable natural regions, and the people and animals who share this space against the backdrop of life in the forests of southern India. It chronicles the couple’s efforts to secure Raghu’s survival and recovery as they travel together, expertly depicting how they eventually fall in love with the magnificent animal. The two pachyderms and their keepers form an everlasting friendship in the movie, which resembles a safari, where the viewer silently takes in the coexistence of nature and man.
Raising the elephants was no mean task. While Boman considers Raghu a godsend, Bellie considers him a child. The visuals draw parallels between the children of the tribe and the calves. The visuals, replete with verdant surroundings, are as tender as Bellie and Bomman are to the elephants.
The couple’s kinship with the elephant calves is also inspired by a culture that loves nature. They explain that the Kattunayakan tribe protects the forest even though the tribe lives off it. Focusing on this bond, director Kartiki Gonsalves portrays a way of life that many of us in urban areas have lost touch with. The film also encapsulates the consequences of human interference and climate change and makes a powerful comment on love and its ability to create harmony between humans and nature.
Note about the Location: The documentary was shot in the Theppakadu Elephant Camp in South India’s first wildlife sanctuary, the Mudhumalai Tiger Reserve. Located in the foothills of the Nilgiris by the banks of the Moyar River, the elephant camp became a place to rehabilitate orphaned, injured, and displaced pachyderms. Since then, more elephants have been born in captivity at Theppakadu than anywhere in the world. Flanked by Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Nagarahole National Park, and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Mudumalai falls under the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and holds the highest population of Asian elephants in the world. Mudumalai is a mine of stories, attracting several researchers, scientists, and filmmakers.
