Oscar-winning documentary 'The Elephant Whisperers' is currently in the news for the wrong reasons. It was directed by Kartiki Gonsalves, and produced by Guneet Monga's banner Sikhya Entertainment. The mahout couple, Bomman and Bellie who starred in the documentary, has sent a legal notice to Kartiki and demanded a ‘goodwill gesture’ of Rs 2 crore from the filmmaker.
As per a report in the news agency PTI, Bomman and Bellie in their statement said that they were introduced as ‘the real heroes’ to the celebrities, sports persons and political leaders, gaining wide publicity for them.
The statement also stated that the filmmaker got financial benefits from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Tamil Nadu chief minister. In the legal notice, the couple stated that they were promised a proper house, an all-terrain multi-purpose vehicle and sufficient financial support as a one-time lump sum payment (without mentioning the amount) as compensation for their time, based on the income generated from the project.
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Social activist-lawyer Pravin Raj, who claims to know the mahout couple for over a decade, told PTI, “Both Bomman and Bellie are disappointed with (Kartiki) Gonsalves, who had promised them monetary help as well as help with the education of Bellie’s granddaughter while making the film. But she now refuses to give even a fraction of the enormous profits made by the film.”
He added that the couple has been calling Kartiki but she is not picking up the phone.
The couple's advocate Mohammed Mansoor, received a reply notice from Sikhya Entertainment Pvt Ltd, on behalf of Kartiki, four days ago. He said that in the reply Kartiki ''flatly refused any more help stating that she has already given money to the couple''. He also said that he will be sending her a rejoinder in a couple of days after consulting with Bomman and Bellie.
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Meanwhile, Sikhya Entertainment Pvt Ltd issued a statement to PTI, “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 communities. Chief minister of Tamil Nadu M K 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."
It stated further, ''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 deep respect for all of the contributors of this story, and remain driven by the desire to create positive change.”
