The Academy Award-winning Indian documentary, The Elephant Whispers makers are under scrutiny from the accusations made by the indigenous couples, Bomman and Bellie, who featured in the movie. The revered documentary follows the story of an indigenous couple who take an elephant under their care. The Oscar-winning documentary demonstrates the bond between humans and animals which is forged by love and care. However, accusations have popped up from the featured couple about how the authorities failed to recompense their budget which was spent during the filming of the documentary.
In an interview with Behindwoods in Tamil, as quoted by India Today, a few days ago Bomman and Bellie spoke about the wedding scene in the documentary. They said that Kartiki wanted to shoot the wedding scene in one day but didn’t have the money for it and asked them to arrange the same. They added that it ‘cost us around ₹1 lakh’. Even though Kartiki promised them that she would return the money, she didn’t pay them yet.
The documentary’s director, Kartiki Gonsalves, and the production company Sikhya Entertainment have since responded to the allegations. They issued the following statement: “The goal in creating The Elephant Whisperers has always been to highlight elephant conservation, the tremendous efforts of the Forest Department and its mahouts Bomman and Bellie. Since its launch, the documentary has raised awareness of the cause and had a real impact on the Mahouts and Cavadis community. Our honorable chief minister of Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin, has made donations towards assisting the 91 Mahouts and Cavadis who look after the state’s elephants, constructing eco-friendly houses for the caretakers and developing an Elephant Camp in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve.”
“The documentary has been celebrated by heads of state across India, and the Academy Award is a moment of national pride that has brought widespread recognition for the work of mahouts like Bomman and Bellie. All claims made are untrue. We have a deep respect for all of the contributors of this story, and remain driven by the desire to create positive change,” the statement added.