The Elephant Whispers (2022), a film produced by Guneet Monga and directed by Kartikeya Gonsalves, won the Best Documentary Short Film Oscar at the 95th Academy Awards, making history. The 41-minute film depicts the tale of Raghu, an orphaned elephant calf who is taken under the mahouts Boman and Bailey’s care. According to Monga, the Oscar victory that brought attention to the issue of elephant care caused people all over the world to pay attention to Indian tales, including his film, which cleared the road for change.
Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga pose with the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Film for The Elephant Whispers
He goes on to explain, “We saw the power of narrative after our success. It had a beneficial effect on the welfare of elephants in Tamil Nadu. The caregivers of 91 elephants in two camps in the state will receive Rs 1 lakh each from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund as a thank-you gift from the state government. furthermore provided 9.1 crore to construct homes for mahouts For the construction of an elephant camp in the Annamalai Tiger Reserve, Rs 5 crore has been allotted. Bauman and Bailey were also honored by CM MK Stalin. Monga declares that she would continue to tell tales that matter and stories that make a difference since she is pleased with the difference she has been able to make.
Monga also describes how Indian cinema’s influence is beginning to spread over the world. “Bong Joon Ho made his imprint on the world stage and opened a door to other languages when he declared in his Oscar speech, “After you breach the one-inch barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to many more wonderful films. As movies are universal in spirit, regardless of language, creativity triumphs when it reaches a global audience. Real stories triumph,” she says.
The fact that “two women won it” makes this honor even more precious for Monga. “I am incredibly delighted and proud that Karthik (who made his acting debut with the movie) and I were the only two ladies to represent India at the Oscars this year and that we received the first prize for an Indian production,” the actress says. It has a message for my fellow ladies and is historically significant.
Monga tells us, “It was fantastic to watch the live performance of Naatu Naatu (RRR, 2022) and win an Oscar. It was wonderful to make India proud to see other performers on the Oscars stage. I’m thrilled that SS Rajamouli, MM Keeravani, Chandrabose, Ram Charan, and Jr. NTR could join us in this special event.
Monga remarks, “I am really proud of All That Breathes,” acknowledging Shaunak Sen. (2022). Despite the fact that the movie didn’t win, Shaunak is one of India’s most promising directors. With three nominations, India will have a fantastic Oscars year in 2023.
The actor is now anticipating to India. “I long for my family and home-cooked meals. It has been a while! I want to go back home, meet Sunny’s parents, and spend time with them. Sunny Kapoor is my wife. Since our December wedding, not much time has been spent with one other. At the time the documentary was shortlisted, I was on my honeymoon. When I returned, we had already been enrolled. Since that moment, I’ve been unable to visit my family at home.
Despite the fact that Indian documentaries have been successful in recent years in establishing themselves in film festivals, Monga has frequently remarked that it still requires more organization, funding, and support. Does she really think that winning an Oscar will make everything better? Monga responds, “Funding for documentaries in India receives relatively little support. The majority of the time, international funders, TV networks, and production companies help make documentaries. But now, with platforms like Netflix that have also made documentaries simpler for normal people to absorb and appreciate the beauty of documentaries, this trend has doubled down. But much more work needs to be done. I anticipate that there will be much more funding opportunities.
She adds, “If a documentary can make such a huge difference, one can only imagine how much more is possible if we truly support documentary filmmaking in India.”
The director also describes how difficult it was for him and the rest of the team to bring a narrative from India’s rural areas to a platform as large as the Oscars. “The Elephant Whisperers’ trip has been tremendously inspirational, rewarding, and heartwarming—from Mudumalai Tiger Reserve to the Oscars, yes. We had not anticipated or witnessed previously for a documentary film the love we have received from a global audience, hundreds of emails, fan art, and messages from people of all age groups, she tells us.
Even before we were nominated, our director Kartiki Gonsalves was in Los Angeles. Our genuine satisfaction is the fact that it struck a chord with so many individuals across the globe. He put a lot of effort into spreading the word about the movie and making sure more people saw it. When I joined them in February, we went to multiple showings of our documentary short film and met so many amazing people who helped us, loved what we did, and made the movie so unique.
Monga acknowledges that the Academy voters ultimately decide whether a film wins or loses, but he is really appreciative that they selected this one amid so many outstanding entries for the special category. Well, it has been a roller coaster ride, but we made history during it, says Monga.
Monga concludes by sending out one final message to everyone in the hopes that she may one day win the trophy, represent her nation internationally, and inspire everyone. “Stop waiting for acceptance from others. As long as you keep pushing forward, nothing is insurmountable. Everyone can do it if I can. All of it is in our minds. Let’s hope for lots more Oscars!
