PM Modi visits The Elephant Whisperers’ Bomman and Bellie at Theppakadu Elephant Camp; tweets pictures

“What a delight to meet the wonderful Bomman and Belli, along with Bommi and Raghu,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted after he had a brief interaction with the real heroes of Kartiki Gonsalves-directed movie The Elephant Whisperers that made the nation proud by bagging the ‘Best Documentary Short Film’ award at at the 95th Academy Awards. Co-produced by Guneet Monga, the 42-minute film - which is currently streaming on Netflix - is said to be the first Indian production to win an Oscar.   

On Sunday, PM Modi visited the Theppakadu Elephant Camp in the Nilgiris, where he met the village couple - Bomman and Belli - who belong to Tamil Nadu’s Kattunayakan community, as well as the elephant calves - Bommi and Raghu. Other mahouts and cavadis were also present at the elephant camp, where the Prime Minister was photographed feeding sugarcane to the captive animals.

He later took to Twitter to share glimpses from his visit to what is said to be the oldest elephant camp in Asia. It’s located inside the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. 

Also read: Two women here won this: Guneet Monga on The Elephant Whisperers bagging Oscar

While speaking to reporters, Bellie said the Prime Minister appreciated her and Bomman. “He then fed the elephants sugarcane and asked us about the elephant calves. We told him we had raised the elephants like our children. He told us no one can raise elephants with such love and affection and took pictures with us. He also asked us if we needed any help and assured us that he would make it happen. We received a photo and a shawl from the Prime Minister and he asked us to come to Delhi,” she elaborated. Before Theppakadu, PM Modi was at the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka. 

Also read: Kartiki Gonsalves after winning the Oscar: The Elephant Whisperers allowed me to speak about the sacred bond between us and our nature 

The Elephant Whisperers addresses the human-wildlife conflict. It’s a heartwarming story of an indigenous couple, who have been given an orphaned elephant to look after. The story follows the couple’s journey as they relentlessly work to ensure Raghu’s recovery and survival. The documentary beautifully weaves the tale of how the couple falls in love with the majestic creature along the course of time. Set against the background of life in the wild spaces of South India, the movie highlights the beauty of exotic wildlife, unforgettable wild spaces, the people and animals who share this space.