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Bomman and Belli Meet PM Narendra Modi: The Elephant Whisperers has started a new conversation and debate over wildlife conservation since its win at Oscars 2023. Produced by Guneet Monga, the Kartiki Gonsalves directorial won the award in the Best Documentary Feature Short Film category. The historic feat at the 95th Academy Awards has also been a moment of pride for Bomman and Bellie who have been receiving laurels from netizens across the globe for their humanitarian contribution towards elephant calves. After meeting Guneet and Kartiki at Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also met the elephant caretaker couple at Tamil Nadu’s Theppakadu elephant camp.
PM Narendra Modi met the Bomman-Bellie couple, the main stars of the Oscar Award-winning documentary “The Elephant Whisperers” pic.twitter.com/74MWN161SP
— ANI (@ANI) April 9, 2023
In a video shared by news agency Asian News International, PM Modi was seen feeding sugarcane to an elephant. While the PM was petting elephants, Bomman and Belli stood next to him and watched. The Prime Minister also interacted with field directors of tiger reserves that have scored highest in the recently concluded 5th cycle of the Management Effectiveness Evaluation exercise. Bomman and Bellie can be seen greeting the PM with folded hands in a series of pictures. The Prime Minister smiled as an elephant kept putting his trunk on his chest while Bomman and Bellie looked at them. The caretaker couple also posed for pictures with the Prime Minister. On her recent meeting with the PM, The Elephant Whsiperers producer Guneet Monga had written “Honourable PM @narendramodi Sir, we are truly humbled & honoured to have met you today and share with you the Oscar that India has won for ‘The Elephant Whisperers’. So grateful for your time and your heartfelt appreciation in this cherished moment for @sikhya Your support and encouragement mean a lot to us. We look forward to continue “Make in India” the impactful content that reflects the diversity and richness of our nation.” Guneet also penned a note for President Droupadi Murmu and wrote “So touched & honoured to have met you, Honourable President Droupadi Murmu. We are eternally grateful for your warm gesture & appreciation for our film. A huge thank you on behalf of team #TheElephantWhisperers. @presidentofindia @kartikigonsalves @sikhya @netflix_in @netflix @theelephantwhisperers.”
Bomman and Bellie had recently also interacted with the media. Bomman had said “I am a Kattuanayakan. I am a protector of the forest. I feel immense pride that the stories of my babies have been put in front of the world. I want to thank Kartiki madam for actually bringing my story and the story of my children to the entire world. That is so important to me, beyond the prize, the pride I feel as a father.” Bellie shared her experiences and told “Bomman might feel a little shy. But I have no fear because I’ve lived in the forest. You people might think Oscar is big prize but for me, the real prize is coming and meeting all you wonderful people who have given me so much respect as a mother. I want to thank everybody here. It’s wonderful to be able to come to a big city and meet people.” Speaking about the elephants, she revealed “It is sometimes painful when I bring up elephants and they have be left back in the wild. As a mother you bring up children and then they go away. As a mother, I was apprehensive about bringing up another child. But when they brought Dharmam to me and they told me his mother has passed away. How could I say no to bring up the baby elephant?”
The Elephant Whisperers is streaming on Netflix.
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