This year’s Academy Awards, which are probably the most prestigious film awards, are especially important to Indians. Not only has the Indian Telugu-language film ‘RRR’ been nominated for Oscars, but it has also won the award for ‘Best Original Song.’ In another moment of pride for Indians, an Indian short-form documentary ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ has also won the Oscar award for the category ‘Best Documentary Short Subject.’ Learn all about the people and the wildlife sanctuary in which it was filmed.
The Elephant Whisperers: Mudumalai National Park in Tamil Nadu
The award-winning documentary was filmed in the Mudumalai National Park which is located in the Niligiri Mountains of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This particular documentary is about two Asian elephants and their caretakers who belong to the Kattunayakan tribe.
The documentary shows Raghu, an elephant calf, being nursed back to life and taken care of by Belli and Bomman, an indigenous Kattunayakan couple. The Kattunayakan tribe is also known as the ‘chief of forests’ and they take it upon themselves to look after the forest and the beings it houses.
The film was directed by Kartiki Gonslaves and was produced by Guneet Monga. This will be Monga’s second Oscar after she won one for being an executive producer for ‘Period. The End Of Sentence’ back in 2019.
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Modi Tweets About The Accomplishment
Congratulations to @EarthSpectrum, @guneetm and the entire team of ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ for this honour. Their work wonderfully highlights the importance of sustainable development and living in harmony with nature. #Oscars https://t.co/S3J9TbJ0OP
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 13, 2023
The Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, took to Twitter to celebrate this major accomplishment by the country. The documentary demonstrates the impact that urbanisation and climate change are having on the survival of Asian elephants in India.
India houses the largest population of Asian elephants in the southeast Asian subcontinent. However, various developmental initiatives by the government are leading to deforestation. This is impacting the food routes of the Asian elephants and making it difficult for them to survive in the wild.
Also Read: RRR’s Naatu Naatu Wins Oscars And Golden Globes For Best Original Song. Here’s Where It Was Shot
Have you watched this documentary soon? Or have you already seen it? Let us know in the comments below!
Cover Image Credits: Sikhya Entertainment