‘The Elephant Whisperers’ wins Best Documentary Short Film at Oscars

Indian production, “The Elephant Whisperers”, a tale of an orphaned elephant calf, won the Oscar for best documentary short. Directed by documentary filmmaker Kartiki Gonsalves, the film marks the directorial debut of the filmmaker.

Produced by Sikhya Entertainment, the documentary celebrates the bond that develops between them as well as the natural beauty of their surroundings.

Set in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, “The Elephant Whisperers” tells the story of an orphaned elephant calf named Raghu who is put in the care of Bomman and Bellie, an indigenous couple.

Modi also congratulated director Kartiki Gonsalves and producer Guneet Monga for helming the documentary ‘The Elephant Whisperers’.

“Their work wonderfully highlights the importance of sustainable development and living in harmony with nature,” Modi tweeted.

The film had its world premiere on November 9, 2022, at the DOC NYC Film Festival. With music by composer M.M. Keeravani and lyrics by Chandrabose, the win for the Telugu-language song followed an exuberant performance, including the famed hook dance steps from the crowd-pleasing film ‘RRR’ rejigged for the Dolby Theatre stage.