Hyderabad: Bomman-Bellie, the mahout couple, sent a legal notice of Rs 2 crore to Oscar winner, 'The Elephant Whisperers' director Kartiki Gonsalves. They stated in the notice that Kartiki had promised to help them in all ways during the shooting of the documentary, but in vain. They said that Kartiki told them that she would provide them with a house, a vehicle, help with the education of Bellie's granddaughter, and some amount for acting in the film, but she did not keep her promise.
She received rewards from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu MK Stalin after receiving the Oscar, they pointed out. Meanwhile, when a media organisation contacted Bomman to comment on the issue, he said that he did not want to speak as the case was in court and if necessary, he can contact his advocate.
Also read: Bellie, Bomman allege exploitation by director Kartiki Gonsalves of 'The Elephant Whisperers' fame
A short film 'The Elephant Whisperers' was made based on the real-life of Bellie and Bomman, who work as caregivers of elephants in the Mudumalai Reserve Forest of Tamil Nadu. The story revolves around Raghu and Ammu, two orphaned baby elephants and the couple, who took care of them. Director Kartiki Gonsalves has directed the documentary. Guneeth Monga is the producer. The 42-minute long documentary won the Oscar 2023 as the Best Short Film.
After the award, Bomman-Bellie accused Kartiki of not caring about them. They alleged that they were not allowed to hold the award in the felicitation functions. In a recent interview, they expressed concern that they lost their mental peace after the documentary. The production company responded to their allegations and stated that there is no truth in the statement of the couple. It is in this context that they have sent a legal notice to the director of the film.
