Pic of 'Elephant Whisperers' couple with Oscar trophy goes viral; TN CM Stalin awards Rs 1 cr to director Kartiki Gonsalves

Ten days after the Academy win, an adorable picture of 'The Elephant Whisperers' stars Bomman and Belli holding the Oscars trophy has been doing the round on social media.

The picture was first shared by producer Achin Jain and director Kartiki Gonsalves on Twitter and Instagram, respectively. In the image, the couple could be seen happily posing with the golden statuette.

Jain in his post said that the couple's infectious smile was Oscar-worthy, and Gonsalves said that she finally feels she's home after being apart for four months.

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A post shared by Kartiki Gonsalves (@kartikigonsalves)

On March 13, 'The Elephant Whisperers' bagged the Best Documentary Short Film at the 95th Academy Awards. Gonsalves, who is a native of Udhagamandalam in Tamil Nadu, shot the movie in the state.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister on Tuesday felicitated the Oscar-winning director.

Stalin presented a shawl and memento to the director, who had spent five years in the Theppakadu Elephant Camp in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in the lap of The Nilgiris, to make the movie. He always awarded her Rs 1 crore for her Oscar victory.

State Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu was also present during the felicitation.

The short documentary tells the story of Bomman and Bellie, the indigenous couple, who took care of an orphaned baby elephant named Raghu.

'The Elephant Whisperers' showcases how the mahout couple raises the elephant calves.

Set in the Mudumalai National Park in the state of Tamil Nadu, the documentary also highlights the beauty of nature. It explores the life of tribal people in harmony with nature.

The movie has been produced by Guneet Monga and Jain under the production banner Sikhya Entertainment.

Before 'The Elephant Whisperers', Monga served as executive producer for 'Period. End of Sentence', an India-set US production that also won an Oscar for Best Documentary Short in 2019.