MM Keeravani reveals Guneet Monga went breathless, was hospitalized after her Oscars speech was cut off

MM Keeravani, the composer of Oscar-winning song Naatu Naatu, which became a global sensation with people grooving to its energetic beats, recently revealed that Guneet Monga, producer of the Oscar-winning documentary The Elephant Whisperers was hospitalized after her win.

MM Keeravani in an interview with Galatta Plus shared his reaction to Naatu Naatu winning Oscar and said, “The universe was listening to my prayers and it happened. Which left me in not great excitement. But it was exciting only, but not to the extent where you go breathless, like the other award winner–Guneet Monga. She was not given time to speak her words, so she went breathless and she was hospitalized also.”

Guneet Monga earlier shared her feelings about being cut off in between her Oscar speech and she told PTI, “I got a huge shock when my speech was cut off by the music. I was on the stage but I loudly said to the people who were on the ground that this is India’s first Oscar for an Indian production and then everybody started clapping.” 

The producer added that she was able to give her speech backstage and said, “I can’t believe that I was so zoned out and shocked. My heart started beating so fast. I thought I can’t come this far and not be heard. At that moment, I felt that I would go back and give my speech again on the main stage. But backstage, I was able to give my speech. They cut us off, which was not nice.”

The Elephant Whisperers directed by Kartiki Gonsalves and produced by Guneet Monga became the first Indian documentary short film to win an Oscar at the Academy Awards. The documentary captures the journey of two orphan elephant calves Raghu and Ammu and their caretakers Bomman and Biellie and the love between them. 

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