Tourists throng Mudumalai to see Oscar-winning elephant ‘Raghu'

A day after Tamil documentary 'The Elephant Whisperers' registered a historic win as they bagged Oscar, tourists thronged Mudumalai Theppakadu elephant camp to witness the baby elephant 'Raghu' from the documentary.

"I am from London, we visited here and learned that two baby elephants from here won an Oscar last night. It is nice to see them, and I really enjoyed seeing them. Elephants are my favourite animal. I am very lucky to see them today," Grace, a tourist told ANI.

"Seeing the elephants is exciting. "It is such a great moment. It's a pleasure to be here. The elephant is my favourite animal and the fact that the film won an Oscar does make me delighted and excited," another tourist said.

What is the elephant whispers all about?

"The Elephant Whisperers", a 39-minute documentary depicts an unbreakable bond between two abandoned elephants and their caretakers. It is produced by Guneet Monga and Achin Jain of Sikhya Entertainment.

The film features Bomman and Bellie, a couple in Mudumalai National Park in Tamil Nadu, who devote their lives to caring for orphaned baby elephants, Raghu and Ammu, thus, forging a family like no other.

They take great pains to ensure that the fragile, injured infant survives and grows to be a healthy juvenile. A strong bond develops between the couple and the elephant.

The film is not just a heart-touching story of a bond between animals and humans and co-existence but also showcases Indian culture and tradition of environment conservation.

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

Kartiki Gonsalves spent five years following human-elephant blended family belonging to Kattunayakan tribe to make this documentary.