At the 95th Academy Awards, “The Elephant Whisperers,” a Netflix documentary short directed by Kartiki Gonsalves and produced by Guneet Monga, emerged victorious in the Best Documentary Short category, surpassing other films such as “Haulout,” “How Do You Measure a Year?,” “The Martha Mitchell Effect,” and “Stranger At The Gate.” During her acceptance speech, Director Gonzalves expressed her dedication to India. Guneet celebrated the win on Instagram, highlighting it as the first-ever Oscar for an Indian production.
Produced by Achin Jain and Guneet Monga and directed by Kartiki Gonsalves, the 41-minute short follows a family from Tamil Nadu’s Mudumalai Tiger Reserve who adopt two orphan baby elephants. What makes this India short so special is that it marks Gonsalves’ directorial debut. Speaking to The Indian Express, Gonsalves explained how she spent five years following Raghu’s story, capturing over 450 hours of footage. She emphasized the importance of patience in creating such an intimate film, citing scenes like Bellie telling Ammu to sit next to her.
After the release of “The Elephant Whisperers,” Gonsalves spoke to Deadline about the feedback she received. She expressed her gratitude for the love the film has received, noting that many viewers felt it captured the dignity of both elephants and the indigenous people who have lived with them for centuries.
India received three Oscar nominations this year, including Best Original Song for “Naatu Naatu” from RRR, Best Documentary Feature Film for Shaunak Sen’s “All That Breathes,” and Best Documentary Short for “The Elephant Whisperers,” directed by Kartiki Gonsalves.
