Tourists throng Mudumalai Theppakadu elephant camp as Elephant Whisperers bag Oscars

Tourists celebrated the bond between elephants and humankind that has been popularised through the film.

Mudumalai (Tamil Nadu): Tourists thronged the Mudumalai Theppakadu elephant camp on Monday just to catch a glimpse of the baby elephant that has become the center of attraction after the Indian documentary film 'The Elephant Whisperers' bagged the Oscar in the 'Best Documentary Short Film' category.

Tourists celebrated the bond between elephants and humankind that has been popularised through the film. One of the tourists said that it is a moment of great pleasure to be in the park. Elephant is her favourite animal, she said adding that the fact that Elephant Whisperers won the Oscars has made her even more excited.

The Elephant Whisperers' plot revolves around a family that adopts two orphan baby elephants in Tamil Nadu's Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. The short documentary was competing with 'Haul Out,' 'How Do You Measure A Year?' 'The Martha Mitchell Effect,' and 'Stranger At The Gate' at the Academy Awards. Director Kartiki Gonsalves and producer Guneet Monga collected the golden statuette at the Dolby Theatre on Monday.

In her Oscar speech, Gonsalves spoke on the sacred bond between mankind and the natural world. Both of them dedicated their award to the respect one should accord to indigenous communities, to other living beings with whom we share our space, and to the spirit of coexistence.

The makers thanked the academy for recognizing their film which portrays the bond between indigenous people and animals. Earlier, in 2019 Guneet Monga won an Oscar for his documentary 'Period. End of Sentence' in the 'Documentary Short Subject' category.