The story of Bomman and Bellie, the couple who co-starred in the Oscar-winning documentary The Elephant Whisperers alongside the elephant Raghu, has now come to a bad turn. The couple said in a recent interview that the documentary’s creators had ignored them after winning the Oscar and had not paid them.
The pair acknowledged that they faced challenging circumstances while filming the Elephant Whisperers documentary and had to spend significant money to cover the costs. Additionally, they claimed that they had launched a lawsuit against the product’s creators when they threatened to return it.
The makers of The Elephant Whisperers, Sikhya Entertainment and Kartiki Gonsalves, have now responded to the allegations. They said, “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.”
Image Source: The Hindustan Times
The statement added, “Since its launch, the documentary has raised awareness of 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.”
Moreover, it said, “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.”
Image Source: Tribune India
A day after the Tamil Nadu government named Bellie as the first permanent female elephant keeper at Theppakadu elephant camp in the Nilgiris, the claim has surfaced. At a formal ceremony that was also attended by Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena, Forest Minister M Mathiventhan, and Supriya Sahu, Chief Minister MK Stalin gave Belli the appointment order.
Also Read: Fact Check: Did The Old Couple Which Featured In ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ Watch The Documentary?
It’s interesting to note that Bomman, Bellie, and the other mahouts of the Theppakaadu elephant camp are anticipated to interact with President Droupadi Murmu, who is slated to arrive in Mudumalai today on a three-day tour to Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
