Bomman and Bellie, the tribal couple who starred in the Oscar-winning documentary The Elephant Whisperers, have alleged that director Kartiki Gonsalves failed to remunerate them and did not return the money they spent for the shoot. In an interview on the Behindwoods Youtube Channel published on August 4, the couple, who are members of the Kattunayakan tribe, levelled several allegations against the filmmakers and the production company Sikhya Entertainment, including exploitation, threats, and harassment.
The couple alleged that the expenses they incurred during the shooting of a wedding scene in the documentary have not been repaid to them. Bomman and Bellie, who were assigned as caretakers to orphaned elephants, fell in love over the course of their work and decided to get married. Kartiki wanted their wedding scene to be a part of the film. A wedding as per Kattunayakan traditions involves the participation of local inhabitants and a traditional reception with food and new clothes. Bomman and Bellie alleged that they spent the money that they had saved for Bellie’s granddaughter’s education for the wedding scene.
“Kartiki said she wanted to shoot the wedding scene in one day. However, she did not have the money for it and asked us to arrange the same. It cost us around Rs 1 lakh. Even though Kartiki had promised us that she would return the money, she has not returned it till now. Whenever we call her, she says she is busy and that she will return our calls soon. But she never does, " they alleged.
When The Elephant Whisperers received the Oscar for the best documentary short film, there were discussions revolving around how the team should have taken the couple to the awards night in America. After the filmmakers returned to India, the couple were taken to Mumbai and Delhi for press meets and to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Our faces [tribal identity] got her the award, but she never let us touch and hold the Oscar statuette during the facilitation. We lost our peace after this documentary,” the couple said, expressing their displeasure over how they have been allegedly treated.
“After we returned to Coimbatore from Mumbai, we did not have the money for the journey back to our home in the Nilgiris. When we asked her for money for the journey, she said she did not have any and will arrange it soon,” the couple alleged. They also recalled one instance where Kartiki said that she had paid their remuneration. “We checked our bank balance, but there was only Rs 60 in the account. We told her this, but she brushed it off saying that we must have spent it,” they said.
The filmmakers responded to the allegations levelled by the couple by saying that the goal in creating The Elephant Whisperers was to highlight elephant conservation, the tremendous efforts of the Forest Department, and its mahouts Bomman and Bellie. The filmmakers’ statement, however, does not address some of the allegations levelled against them by the couple. It did not mention the remuneration they reportedly paid to the couple or the contract they signed.
In a statement, they said, "Since its launch, the documentary has raised awareness for 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 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 statement read.
'The Elephant Whisperers' won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short this year. The film followed Bomman and Bellie as they cared for orphaned baby elephants in Theppakadu Elephant camp in Nilgiris of Tamil Nadu. Following the international recognition for the film, the state and Union governments felicitated both the filmmakers and the couple with monetary rewards. The Tamil Nadu government announced a house for the couple and a reward of Rs 1 lakh each, while Kartiki received Rs 1 crore from the state government.