Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin felicitated the director of the documentary short film 'The Elephant Whisperers', which won an Oscar award. He congratulated director Kartiki Gonsalves for bringing glory to Tamil Nadu globally. In recognition of this, the Chief Minister presented a certificate of appreciation and a cheque for Rs 1 crore to the director and the maker of the Oscar-winning documentary film “The Elephant Whisperers”, for bringing pride to the Tamil Nadu government's forest department.
The documentary was shot at Mudumalai Elephant Camp and other pockets of forests in Tamil Nadu. 'The Elephant Whisperers' won the Oscar in the category of documentary short film. This short film directed by Kartiki Gonsalves describes the way young elephants are raised by the caretakers Bomman and Bellie, the tribal couple.
Also read: The Elephant Whisperers: Story of Indian 'Aanai' that brought Oscar home
The documentary shows how the six-month-old baby elephant 'Ragu' was brought to the camp by elephant caretakers Bomman and Bellie working at Theppakkadu elephant camp in Tamil Nadu's Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR). The film also narrates the story of another baby elephant 'Ammu', who was raised by keepers in the same camp.
Moreover, the 45-minute short film has won the highest award 'Oscar' and has brought pride to Tamil Nadu. Through this documentary, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department's work on elephant conservation has drawn global attention. It may be recalled that the Chief Minister on March 15 felicitated Bomman and Bellie, the caretakers of the baby elephant 'Raghu' with a cheque of Rs 1 lakh each and a certificate.
As per the Chief Minister's notification, 91 elephant mahouts and 'Kavadis' working in the Theppakadu elephant camp of MTR and Kozhikammuthi elephant camp of Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) has been given a grant of Rs 1 lakh each from the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund. Later, addressing the media, Kartiki Gonsalves said, "I am very happy to win the Oscar for Tamil Nadu. It is nice to see this documentary shot in an area where tribals live. Moreover, being a woman, I am honoured to receive the Oscar."
