Filmmaker Kartiki Gonsalves, who won the Oscar award this year for her ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ in ‘The Best Documentary Short Film’ category has landed in legal trouble now. Bomman and Bellie who were the mahout couple that featured in the documentary were the ones who sent the legal notices.
As per the PTI, Bomman and Bellie were credited as the ‘real heroes’ throughout the promotions and were introduced to celebrities and politicians in the same manner. The statement further reads that the filmmaker received financial benefits from the Tamil Nadu government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi too. The couple were promised a vehicle and a lump sum amount of money which they did not receive till date.
Pravin Raj who is a social activist lawyer who has known the mahout couple for over a decade has said, “Both Bomman and Bellie are disappointed with (Kartiki) Gonsalves, who had promised them monetary help as well as help with the education of Bellie’s granddaughter while making the film. But she now refuses to give even a fraction of the enormous profits made by the film.” He added that the filmmaker Kartiki has not been picking up their calls.
Sikhya Entertainment banner under which the documentary was produced has released a statement that says, “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 communities. Chief minister of Tamil Nadu M K 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.”
It further says, “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 deep respect for all of the contributors of this story, and remain driven by the desire to create positive change.”
