Shubhiksha G V, Pune
Mahout couple Bomman and Bellie, featured in the Oscar-winning documentary “The Elephant Whisperers”, have sent a legal notice to the maker’s team over unfair treatment. The documentary received wide recognition, after its Academy win, by the Tamil Nadu State Government and the Central Government, and received monetary prizes as well.
The documentary is directed by Kartiki Gonsalves under Guneet Monga’s Sikhya Entertainment banner and won the Best Documentary Short Film at the 95th Academy Awards. The documentary was under scrutiny in the last few months in Tamil Nadu because of the conversation around the Kaatunayakar community, which the mahouts belong to.
In spite of being the subject of the documentary, the couple was not mentioned by Monga in her acceptance speech. In a recent interview with a Tamil entertainment YouTube channel, Bomman claimed that their share of the profits was not given despite investing over Rs. 2 lakhs in the production. He further alleged that the filmmaker refused to help them out after the release of the documentary.
According to a report by The News Minute, the couple sent a legal notice to the maker on June 24, 2023. In the notice, they have demanded Rs. 2 crores as a “goodwill gesture”. According to Bomman, they were promised a proper house and a fair share of the profits made by the film, which has been well received globally after the Academy Award win. They were also not compensated for their investment in the production of the film. Support for the couple has been gushing across social media platforms, claiming that they “saw this (exploitation) coming” and “it is heartbreaking”.
Tamil Nadu had awarded Gonsalves Rs. 1 crore for her work, and the couple received Rs. 1 lakh each for their efforts in Mudumalai Forest Reserve. Bellie was appointed as the first female elephant caretaker in Theppakadu Elephant Camp at Mudumalai on August 2, 2023.