The Elephant Whisperers couple Bomman, Belli accuse makers of exploitation and non-payment

The tribal couple Bomman and Belli, who was part of the Oscar-winning documentary, The Elephant Whisperers, have levelled serious charges against the makers of the documentary. In a recent interview, the couple alleged that the makers of the documentary have not remunerated them and have not been responding to their requests after the historic Oscar win earlier this year, reports The Hindu.

Bomman and Belli have shared that they spent a large amount of money during the shoot of the documentary, and also accused the makers of harassing them.In a YouTube interview, the couple accused the filmmakers of harassment as they went on to share that they have spent a large amount of their savings on the wedding sequence of the movie, which director Kartiki Gonsalves wanted to be in the film.

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They also alleged that Kartiki was very friendly during the shoot, but everything changed after the movie got the golden trophy, and since then Kartiki has not been in touch with them.

"Kartiki said she wanted to shoot the wedding scene in one day. However, she did not have the money for it and asked us to arrange the same. It cost us around Rs 1 lakh. Even though Kartiki had promised us that she would return the money, she has not returned it till now. Whenever we call her, she says she is busy and that she will return our calls soon. But she never does," the duo alleged.

They have also claimed that they were not even allowed to touch the Oscar trophy.

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Production house reaction

The production house Sikhya Entertainment and the film’s director, Kartiki Gonsalves, have responded to the allegations. In the statement released, the makers said all the claims made against them are untrue. However, they have not addressed the allegations directly.

The statement reads, ''The goal in creating The Elephant Whisperers has always been to highlight elephant conservation, the tremendous efforts of the Forest Department and its mahouts Bomman and Bellie. Since its launch, the documentary has raised awareness of the cause and had a real impact on the Mahouts and Cavadis community. Our honourable chief minister of Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin, has made donations towards assisting the 91 Mahouts and Cavadis who look after the state’s elephants, constructing eco-friendly houses for the caretakers and developing an Elephant Camp in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve.''

The statement also said, "The documentary has been celebrated by heads of state across India, and the Academy Award is a moment of national pride that has brought widespread recognition for the work of mahouts like Bomman and Bellie. All claims made are untrue. We have a deep respect for all of the contributors of this story, and remain driven by the desire to create positive change."

What The Elephant Whisperers was all about?

The Elephant Whisperers won Best Documentary Short at the 95th Academy Awards. Directed by debutant Kartiki Gonsalves, the 41-minute short documentary is set in the Mudumalai National Park in Tamil Nadu and tells the heartwarming story of a South Indian couple, Bomman and Bellie,who dedicated their entire life to an orphaned elephant baby named Raghu. Backed by Guneet Monga,the film is streaming on Netflix.

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