New Delhi: Oscar winning documentary The Elephant Whisperers has made headlines once again, not for its win, but because of accusations of maltreatment against the makers of the film, the Hindu reported.
Bomman and Bellie, the two mahouts who star in the film, have said that they were subjected to difficult situations during the making of the documentary, and had to spend a large sum of money to cover the expenses of the shoot. They also alleged that they have filed a case against the makers who threatened them to take it back, the report said.
The film had courted controversy since it bagged the Oscar as viewers were quick to point out the power dynamic between the filmmakers and the community they chose as subjects as well as the lack of this contextualisation in the film.
Sikhya Entertainment and the film’s director Kartiki Gonsalves have responded to the allegations. “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,” their statement said.
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.”
Boman and Bellie made the accusation a day after the Tamil Nadu government appointed Bellie as the first permanent woman elephant caretaker at Theppakadu elephant camp in the Nilgiris region, the Hindu reported. Chief minister M.K. Stalin presented the appointment order to Bellie at a special ceremony that was presided over by forest minister M. Mathiventhan, chief secretary Shiv Das Meena and Supriya Sahu, the report said.
President Droupadi Murmu also met with Bomman and Bellie as well as the other mahouts of the Theppakaadu elephant camp during her three-day visit to Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
This article was first published by The Wire
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