The Elephant Whisperers' Couple Poses with Oscar Award, Kartiki Gonsalves Says 'Feels Like I’m Home'

After bagging the prestigious Oscars award, director Kartiki Gonsalves recently reunited with The Elephant Whisperers couple. She described her feeling to be so surreal that it almost seemed like coming back home to her. On early Thursday, she shared a happy photograph of Bomman and Bellie lifting the Oscar trophy with bright smiles on their faces.

While sharing the picture, Kartiki revealed that it is almost four months since she visited the South Indian couple. If the picture is anything to by, the elderly duo appears to be over the moon about the global appreciation their story has received.

“It’s been a long four months since we’ve been apart and now I feel like I’m home,” Kartiki Gonsalves captioned the photo. The Elephant Whisperers bagged the Academy Award in the Best Documentary Short Film category. Take a look at the post here:

While reacting to the picture, the musician Vishal Dadlani said, “Easily my favourite Oscars picture ever.” Meanwhile, a fan commented, “Was waiting to see the Oscar in their hands! Here’s to many many movies about community members and the role they play in protecting our forests.” Another added, “Love their smiles. Hugs and more hugs.”

This comes just days after the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin, felicitated Gonsalves for her historic Oscar victory. While doing so, he also awarded the filmmaker with a cash prize of Rs. 1 crore to appreciate the achievement. Notably, earlier this month, the Tamil Nadu CM also visited the elephant caretakers Bomman and Bellie who featured in the documentary alongside elephants Raghu and Ammu. Reportedly, the Tamil Nadu government has announced several cash prizes for all the caretakers in the elephant camp and has promised to provide new upgrades and facilities to the place.

The plot of the documentary traces the life of a South Indian couple who help raise an orphaned elephant, treating the animal nothing less than their own kin. The short film highlights their unique familial bond as a step toward shattering the gap between humans and wildlife.

The Elephant Whisperers was competing against short films including Stranger At The Gate, How Do Yoy Measure A Year, Haulout, and The Martha Mitchell Effect. Besides the documentary short film, India also won the Oscars for RRR’s Naatu Naatu in the Best Original Song category.

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