Kariki Gonsalves, the director of the Oscar-winning documentary 'The Elephant Whisperers, met the couple on whom the short film is based after bagging the Academy Award.
The director shared a picture on Instagram where Bomman and Bellie are seen happily holding the Oscars trophy and posing for the camera. “It's been a long four months since we've been apart and now I feel like I'm home…..” the caption read.
Many reacted to Kariki Gonsalves' post and found it to be delightful. “Melts my heart to see this, life is so beautifully strange!” a user wrote. Another said, “FINALLY!!! Good to see Kartiki Gonsalves turn the spotlight on those who deserve to shine brightest in this moment. That's what makes you such a wonderful storyteller, Kartiki! Hope it's just the beginning for you :)”
'The Elephant Whisperers' won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject at the 95th Academy Awards. Produced by Guneet Monga, the short film became the first Indian production to win an Oscar in this category.
After winning the award, Guneet Monga, in a tweet, wrote, “We just won the first-ever Oscar for an Indian Production! Two women did this! I am still shivering”.
The producer said, “Tonight is historic as this is the first-ever Oscar for an Indian production. India's Glory with 2 women”.
Thanking her parents and those involved in the making of the documentary, Ms Monga said, “To all the women watching...The future is audacious and the future is here. Let's go!"
The documentary is set in the Mudumalai National Park of Tamil Nadu and follows the story of an orphan calf, Raghu. It shows how Bomman and Belli, an indigenous couple, look after the elephant and forge a bond with him.
The Elephant Whisperers is also the third Indian film to be nominated for Oscars in the category after The House That Ananda Built and An Encounter With Faces.