Oscars 2023: All of us were trying to only tell a story as honestly as possible, says The Elephant Whisperers cinematographer 

Indian documentary The Elephant Whisperers not only bagged the honour of an Academy Award under the Best Documentary Short category, but also gave a platform of recognition to the voice of the indigenous tribe. A home-grown story from the state from Tamil Nadu, the documentary follows two elephant caretakers, Bomman and Bellie, who become parents to two elephant calves Raghu and Ammukutty.

Speaking to us, cinematographer Anand Bansal who worked in the short said, “It is really a happy moment for all of us and I am still overwhelmed about the award. I am still figuring out how to feel about it, to be honest.”

Anand shot the documentary along with the director Karthik Gonsalves of the documentary, Karan Thapliyal, and Krish Makhija. When asked if the team expected such a big win for their team, Anand says, “I think no one while making the film expected where it will go. We were trying to shoot a film at that moment and make it as honestly as you can. All of us were at that mindset and we were trying to only tell a story as honest as possible.”

The cinematographer also recalls the first time he met the jumbos. “I think the first time I met the elephants Ammu and Raghu, to understand them and vice versa, because you are shooting very close to them..so those moments of relationship building was an humbling experience indeed.”

While still acknowledging how this time Oscars was a moment of representation of India’s heterogeneity with a Telugu song Naatu Naatu wining an award, along with tale that is rooted in Tamil Nadu, Anand also puts forth another point in focus. “

“More Indian documentary filmmakers should get support, which will become an even bigger win in the future. Documentary filmmakers should get more support to make the difference they want to make because there are voices that tend to get lost,” he adds.