The Elephant Whisperers wins Oscar for Best Documentary Short

While all the talk has been about ‘RRR’ and ‘Naatu Naatu’, the Indian documentary ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ has won the award for Best Documentary Short. Streaming on Netflix, it is directed by Kartiki Gonsalves and produced by Guneet Monga. This is the first time an Indian film is bagging an Academy Award in this category.

Reacting to the historic win, Guneet Monga said, “This is an incredibly powerful and historical moment. We as two women from India, stood on that global stage making this historical win. I’m so proud of this film, this moment and proud of my amazing team at Sikhya Entertainment, that an independent production house from India has made the history to be the first ever Indian film by an Indian production to win an Oscar. My heart is racing with all the joy, love, excitement in the moment. I’m so grateful to Kartiki, the wonderful visionary that she is. Netflix gave us the biggest stage in the world and supported us n believed in us all the way. Today I can say, the future for Indian cinema is audacious, the future is here and not to forget the future is truly female.”

‘The Elephant Whisperers’ follows the story of Raghu, an orphaned elephant calf under the care of Bomman and Belli, an indigenous couple residing in Mudumalai National Park in Tamil Nadu. The film explores the profound relationship that develops between Raghu and his caretakers.