The Elephant Whisperers made history at the 95th Academy Awards, winning the Best Documentary Short Award, making it the first Indian production to win under this category.
Producer Guneet shared her excitement on Twitter and wrote, “We just won the first-ever Oscar for an Indian Production! Two women did this! I am still shivering.” Guneet Monga, along with Achin Jain of Sikhya Entertainment, produced The Elephant Whisperers. Monga previously won an Oscar for her 2019 documentary Period. End of Sentence in the Documentary Short Subject category.
Directed by Kartiki Gonsalves, the Netflix documentary competed alongside four other films in the category: Haulout, How Do You Measure a Year?, The Martha Mitchell Effect, and Stranger at the Gate.
The plot of the documentary “The Elephant Whisperers” revolves around a family who adopts two orphan baby elephants in Tamil Nadu’s Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. The Elephant Whisperers depicts the unbreakable bond between the elephants and their caretakers, portraying an emotionally enriching and “jumbo-sized” tale of unconditional love.
While receiving the award, Kartiki said, “I stand here today to speak for the sacred bond between us and our natural world, for the respect of indigenous communities, and empathy towards other living beings we share space with and finally, for coexistence.”
Gonsalves thanked the Academy, the producer of the short, Guneet Monga, and her family before dedicating the win to her “motherland India.” She added, “Thank you to the Academy for recognizing our film, highlighting indigenous people and animals. To Netflix for believing in the power of this. To Bomman and Belli for sharing their sacred tribal wisdom. To Guneet, my producer. To my entire team and finally, to my mother, father and sister who are up there somewhere and you are the center of my universe, to my motherland India.”
The Elephant Whisperers is a powerful and impactful documentary that highlights the importance of conservation and protection of animals and indigenous communities. It showcases how coexistence is possible, and the bond between humans and animals can be unbreakable.
Indian Twitter users also shared their excitement and congratulations for the film. A user tweeted, “Congratulations to the entire team of The Elephant Whisperers for bringing the Oscar to India. A proud moment for all of us.” Another user wrote, “India’s film industry is breaking barriers and reaching new heights. Congratulations to Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga for bringing the Oscar to India again. Your work is truly inspiring.”
The Elephant Whisperers is a must-watch for everyone who believes in the power of storytelling and the importance of conservation. It is a reminder that we need to respect and protect our natural world and coexist with other living beings to create a sustainable and harmonious future.