Jumbo Toys
India Today|February 13, 2023
With an Oscar nomination, The Elephant Whisperers has set a benchmark for stories about nature and its relationship with humans
Suhani Singh
Jumbo Toys

IT was Aww’ at first sight. In 2017, when natural history and social documentary photographer and filmmaker Kartiki Gonsalves was driving to Bengaluru, she chanced upon an adorable sight on her way, at the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu—a three-month-old elephant calf, Raghu, being taken to the river for a bath by his human caretaker, Bomman. I instantly saw this beautiful bond between the two where he Bomman] was literally everything to Raghu,” she says. The encounter marked the beginning of a five-year cinematic journey, during which Gonsalves and her crew followed the displaced calves, Raghu and Ammu, and their adopted parents, Bomman and Bellie, across different seasons. That journey culminates in Los Angeles, where Gonsalves’s film, The Elephant Whisperers streaming on Netflix), is in contention for the best documentary short Oscar.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM INDIA TODAYView all
Queer Quartet
India Today

Queer Quartet

National Award-winning filmmaker Onir has taken several creative leaps with his queer romance, We Are Faheem & Karun

time-read
2 mins  |
January 20, 2025
Changing the Narrative
India Today

Changing the Narrative

In an ambitious new touring exhibition across India, veteran photographer Dayanita Singh pushes the boundaries of how we experience images

time-read
3 mins  |
January 20, 2025
INDIA'S SPAM WAR
India Today

INDIA'S SPAM WAR

AS UNSOLICITED CALLS AND MESSAGES INUNDATE CELLPHONES, NEW TECH SOLUTIONS AND REGULATIONS AIM TO COUNTER THIS INVASIVE DIGITAL EPIDEMIC. BUT IT'S STILL A LONG HAUL

time-read
8 mins  |
January 20, 2025
LALU'S OLIVE BRANCH GAMBIT
India Today

LALU'S OLIVE BRANCH GAMBIT

Winter may be intensifying in Bihar but the state's political climate is anything but cool.

time-read
2 mins  |
January 20, 2025
IN THE PRODUCER'S SEAT
India Today

IN THE PRODUCER'S SEAT

Actor Richa Chadha on being a first-time producer with Girls Will Be Girls, which released recently on Prime Video, and being a new mother

time-read
1 min  |
January 20, 2025
SPRING IN THEIR SETS
India Today

SPRING IN THEIR SETS

The upcoming Spring 2025 Season of the Symphony Orchestra of India at NCPA, Mumbai-headlined by Maestro Zubin Mehta and Sir Mark Elder-promises a host of international performers

time-read
2 mins  |
January 20, 2025
SAFFRON'S CROSS CONNECTION
India Today

SAFFRON'S CROSS CONNECTION

THE BJP REALISES THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY IS CRUCIAL FOR THE PARTY TO MAKE A BREAKTHROUGH IN KERALA. THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS ALSO AWARE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF SUCH AN ARRANGEMENT

time-read
6 mins  |
January 20, 2025
BURNING RESISTANCE
India Today

BURNING RESISTANCE

The 337 tonnes of toxic waste from the abandoned Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, awaiting disposal for four decades, has hit a roadblock.

time-read
2 mins  |
January 20, 2025
VIRAL FEAR RISES ANEW
India Today

VIRAL FEAR RISES ANEW

The fear is not an irrational one-it's just the other day that the spectre of Covid-19 was harassing the whole world. So as China reports a spike in respiratory illnesses, the memories of planetary disruption have come rushing back.

time-read
3 mins  |
January 20, 2025
A PLUM PART
India Today

A PLUM PART

Tahir Raj Bhasin loved getting under the skin of Vikrant, the character he plays in Netflix's Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein, whose second season is out now

time-read
2 mins  |
January 20, 2025