On Monday, India made history at the Oscars with two wins, one for Naatu Naatu, a lively and enjoyable song from the movie RRR, and the other for the documentary short, The Elephant Whisperers. These wins are significant as they showcase the diversity of Indian cinema beyond Bollywood and the growing strength of the country’s non-feature film industry. It is the first time that two productions made in India have won the most prestigious award in the film industry.
During the awards ceremony at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, dancers performed the popular hook steps from the Telugu song, while actress Deepika Padukone introduced it to the enthusiastic cheers of the audience.
The song Naatu Naatu, from the hit movie RRR directed by S.S. Rajamouli, has made history by becoming the fourth non-English song to win an Academy Award in its category. The song, composed by M.M. Keeravaani and written by Chandrabose, is also the first foreign-language song to win since Jai Ho in 2009.
In addition, India has also won its first-ever Oscar in the Documentary Short category with The Elephant Whisperers. Created by Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga, the documentary explores the connection between humans and a forsaken elephant calf in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu.
Director Kartiki Gonsalves expressed gratitude to Bomman and Bellie, who shared their tribal knowledge to assist in the creation of the movie, during her acceptance speech for The Elephant Whisperers winning the Oscar for Best Documentary Short in Los Angeles. This moment of achievement was a tribute to the Kattunayakar tribe of the Western Ghats and their traditional wisdom.
The documentary follows a family that adopts two orphaned elephant calves in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu and raises them. While the film’s human protagonists, Bomman and Bellie, were recognized on the global stage, they have since moved on from Theppakadu sanctuary. Mr. Bomman now cares for two elephant calves in Dharmapuri, where he is currently tracking them on the orders of the Madras High Court to unite them with a herd or relocate them to Theppakadu elephant camp in Mudumalai for safety. Bomman learned about the Oscar win through WhatsApp and expressed his gratitude to the two elephant calves and Kartiki. He identifies as a Kattunayakkan, the king of the forests, and The Elephant Whisperers opens with his profile framed by his curly mane. Although Bellie is no longer a permanent staff member of the Forest Department, she also assisted in raising the elephants.