Trumpets of "The Elephant Whisperers"!

 

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“I have spent hours and hours watching elephants, and to come to understand what emotional creatures they are...it's not just a species facing extinction, it's massive individual suffering.” … Mike Bond

“Elephants command attention. But their size is not what makes the heart skip a beat. It's how they walk with the world's weight on their shoulders, sensitive, noble, their hearts pulsing and as wide open as the great grey leaves that are their ears. MoFos used to say that an elephant never forgets and until this very moment, I hadn't understood what that really meant” … Kira Jane Buxton

Kira Jane Buxton's debut novel, Hollow Kingdom, was a finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humour, the Audie Awards, and the Washington State Book Awards, and was named a best book of 2019 by NPR, Book Riot. Mike Bond is an American novelist, ecologist, war and human rights journalist, and poet. Bond has been called the "master of the existential thriller" by the BBC and "one of the 21st Century's most exciting authors" by The Washington Times. And the common factor between their both writings is elephants, especially above two quotes & you must have guessed right as the sharing is about elephants though in the form of movie, (documentary, technically speaking) which is talk of the Nation & the World, i.e. The Elephant Whisperer & its young director/creator Ms Kartiki Gonslanwils. By now we all must have read a lot as usual about the journey & the director as well producers of the movie which was available on OTT (Netflix) for last six months but it went for Oscar Nomination & viewership increased in multiples & it won the Black Beauty & suddenly the movie is in most viewed list, no wonder as that’s how human mentality works! We run behind the success & eventually makes the successful person (or movie) more successful, so be it!

I have watched the movie in parts not because I knew it had gone to the Oscars but because I usually watch everything related to nature (wildlife) on Netflix as I love forests in every form. TEW (The Elephant Whisperers short form I made), is not exactly a wildlife film but it’s closer to my heart because it speaks about the bond between wildlife & humans. On this subject many movies are there right from the blockbuster Life of Pai to Two Brothers (both on Tiger) as well some great Disney hits (who else) with man animal bonding & Hindi movies also are their which revolves around Elephant (how can we forget Hathi Mere Sathi with Super Star Rajesh Khanna at his prime in it) but TEW is not exactly a movie or created or writers imagined script, its real-life story of a couple Bomman & Bellie from Tamil Nādu State. The movie is about this couple which works at elephant camp in Mudumalai forest & which must be the only of its kind establishment where injured elephants are treated as well orphan elephant’s cubs are taken care & then later let them out free in the forests only when forest dept. feels they are fit enough to survive on their own! Raghu & Ammu are two such elephants which are at the center of the movie & how Bomann-Bellie takes care of these two elephant cubs & strike a bond with them is the base of the script, that’s all! And along with this the movie takes us around the forests of Nilgiris where Bomann & Bellie are stationed or natives, they actually grew up as part of the forests. Many will say what’s big deal, hundreds of such stories happens all around the forests & I won’t disagree, what is special about the TEW is, not some great wildlife photography or acting or action sequence, rather there is nothing special about it & that is the strength of this movie, as its approaches you with the simplest & pure form of story-telling, in such a way that you become part of that story, that’s the true success of TEW!

Nothing dramatic happens in the entire forty minutes of the movie except how Raghu & Ammu come into the life of Raghu & Bellie & their journey together of some six to seven years, that’s all. But it’s this journey on the background of the   Nilgiris Hills colourful forests & the bond getting developed between the elephant cubs & human couple & the narration of this journey in the sincerest voice of Bomann (with subtitles) hits you to the hilt, that’s the success of TEW! An elephant, though is a much common sight in many parts of our country yet hundreds of elephants die in man-animal conflict as well humans too, die in it & because of the huge size (and appetite) the elephants need a lot more space (food & water too) for their survival & with our ever increasing population (and greed) that is becoming difficult for the elephants. And unless humans don’t accommodate elephants as their family the species will go extinct, this message has been given as the simplest form of communication, is the strength of TEW! And the message may be for elephants as they are core of the movie but its applicable for every wildlife creature or say entire eco-system & an eyeopener for human race, is the key factor in getting TEW a well-deserved Oscar. No wonder post getting Oscar, immediately Chief Minister of Tamil Nādu called Raghu & belliie & honoured them with cash reward for their service as well suddenly the elephant camp at Mudumalai has become attraction for tourists to click seven year old Raghu & Ammu (the elephants featured in the film), sad fact is it took an Oscar to make our own country realize the importance of the work Bomman & Bellie were doing since decades following family tradition fighting against all odds, even the forest dept itself! As well funds have been granted to this elephant camp by the govt is also a news, great hypocrites we really are as a society!

Just to explain how difficult the job of Bomman & Bellie of raising or say caretaker of elephants is, as funding is always a problem & no insurance or any such thing at their aid in case of any physical injury. Do mind, an elephant is an emotional animal & given its ten times size & strength in comparison to humans, an angry elephant cub also can be a danger to care taker’s life or his or her near & dear one’s lives! Interesting fact about the deaths of the humans which has happened even from the domestic elephants, is of their handlers, as mood-swinging or anger the first soft target of such elephants is their caretaker or the handler! Irony is, exactly five years back in the month of Oscars i.e. March 18, we have witnessed elephant’s anger & the victim was Nagarahole Tiger Park’s (which is in the same region of TEW story) field director S. Maniknanda, an IFS officer, who got killed in the elephant attack when his team has gone to check a forest fire where an elephant herd was stationed! Now you can imagine, a trained top rank forest officer with all possible protection, even he can get killed by the elephant & here Bomman & Bellie are just lowest rank forest labours, risking their lives of taking care of elephants which are victims of trauma such as losing their mother as well their own injuries caused due to human interference. And elephants have sharp memories, they do not forget the cause of their sufferings easily, mind it! Best part is the way Bomman & Bellie have accepted this tough (hard) life of living with elephants in such an easy & casual way as at times their own siblings have kept aside to give attention to the elephant cubs & this also they share in a very candid way!

Full marks to Ms Kartiki Gonsalnwils, Director of the movie, which in few of the shots or say frames makes us understand the bond between Bomman & Bellie & the elephants or say makes us know the devotion with which this couple has taken up the job of elephant’s care takers. In one shot Raghu tells us how you should handle or feel the elephant infant as it's actually like raising your own kids, “touch them”, Raghu says as the elephants can feel your touch & they respond to that touch & give them ample of time. In another shot Bellie was shown telling her kids bedtime story ion her mud thatched hut while Raghu the elephant cubs jealously shown wandering around the hut as it feels that sibling rivalry regarding the kids of Bomman & Bellie, this part has come wonderful & natural as its such small details & moments which has made the TEW to get Oscar, is what my opinion! One more aspect is with the ease Boamman & Bellie has accepted the hardships or facts of their lives & without any regrets & complaints about adversities in their job, this aspect is the best lesson the movie gives to the world (not just the audience). As in a world where people don’t care about their own parents or blood relations here is a couple which go out of their every limit & cares as well give affection to some orphan elephant cubs, this is what being human means, is what our society needs to tell & TEW delivers that message in the loudest voice yet silently!

At the concluding lines of the movie, the camera moves over few kids bathing a young elephant & Raghu’s voice in the background says, this is what my forefather did for ages & this is what I myself & Bellie got old doing & this is what I want our kids also to do i.e., love the elephants & grow with them together, & the movie ends on this note! TEW may be the story of some lucky elephant cubs which got right help but it's applicable to the entire wildlife around us which needs many such Bommans & Bellies as that will be a real tribute of the Oscar it has got as well of the entire TEW team’s efforts! On the Oscar stage, Kartiki Gonslanwils accepted the award with these words which will be carved (read as, should be) on the minds of every human being, she said, “I am standing here to speak about the sacred bond between nature & the humans. I am standing in the honour of humanity & for all the species with whom we share coexistence on this earth”! Amen, Ms Kartiki, till there are Bommans & Bellies & people like you to tell the world their stories, there is a Hope, is all I can think of & thankful to you all!

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Sanjay Deshpande 

Sanjeevani Dev.

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