‘The Elephant Whisperers’ Bomman and Bellie allege exploitation by docu makers; Kartiki Gonsalves calls claims “untrue”

President Droupadi Murmu is also expected to meet Bomman and Bellie later today

The story of Bomman and Bellie, the duo who, along with the elephant Raghu, headlined the Oscar-winning documentaryThe Elephant Whisperers, has now hit a sour patch. In a recent interview, the couple alleged that the makers of the documentary have not remunerated them and had been irresponsive after the Oscar win. 

The duo shared they were subjected to difficult situations during the making of the documentary, and added that they spent 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. 

Now, the makers of The Elephant Whisperers, Sikhya Entertainment and Kartiki Gonsalves, have now responded to the allegations. In a statement, they said, “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.”

The allegation has come up just a day after the Tamil Nadu government appointed Bellie as the first permanent woman elephant caretaker at Theppakadu elephant camp in the Nilgiris region. Chief Minister MK Stalin presented the appointment order to Belli at a special ceremony that was also presided over by Forest Minister M Mathiventhan, Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena and Supriya Sahu.

Interestingly, President Droupadi Murmu, who is scheduled to arrive in Mudumalai today on a three-day visit to Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, is expected to interact with Bomman and Bellie as well as the other mahouts of the Theppakaadu elephant camp.