The Elephant Whisperers director Kartiki Gonsalves denies report that tribal couple in Oscar-winning film hasn't seen it

Documentary short film The Elephant Whisperers became the first film from India to win an Oscar on Monday morning. The film, directed by Kartiki Gonsalves, shows the bond between a tribal couple – Bomman and Bellie – and an orphaned elephant baby they help raise. Hours after the Oscars win, a report claimed that despite the acclaim, the couple hadn’t seen the film they were featured in.

The film’s director has now rubbished this claim, saying the Bomman and Bellie were ‘the first’ ones to see this film in a special screening. Taking to Twitter on Tuesday morning, Kartiki Gonsalves wrote, “I’d like to address that Bomman and Bellie were the very first people to watch the documentary at a special viewing by me. They live in the core area of the forest and do not have access to streaming channels.”

I’d like to address that Bomman and Bellie were the very first people to watch the documentary at a special viewing by me. They live in the core area of the forest and do not have access to streaming channels. https://t.co/W8WYVPFOdp

— Kartiki Gonsalves (@EarthSpectrum) March 14, 2023

On Monday, a Hindustan Times report quoted Bomman as saying that he and Bellie had not watched the film yet. The 54-year-old reacted to the Oscars win and said, “I still do not know anything about this (Oscars). But I understand that it is very important because everyone has been telling me that this earned India much glory. So that means a lot to us.”

The 40-minute documentary was filmed in Tamil Nadu’s Mudumulai National Park. It shows the couple taking care of elephant calf Raghu. Reportedly, the couple lost their son during the making of the film, and they're yet to speak to the Elephant Whisperers director, Karthiki Gonsalves. Talking about the filming process, Bomman had said, “They filmed us casually now and then. It was not like some film set where there was direction and a lot of people.”

The film won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject at the 95^th Academy Awards held in Los Angeles on Sunday night (Monday morning India time). The film was released on Netflix last December.