Bomman and Bellie, the elephant caretakers of the Oscar-winning documentary Elephant Whisperers, have accused its makers of exploiting them and failing to compensate them adequately.
The couple claimed in an interview last week that the director, Kartiki Gonsalves, did not reimburse what they had spent on a wedding sequence for the documentary.
They also claimed that they had no money to return home after attending an event connected with the film in Mumbai.
Bomman and Bellie live in the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, where they care for orphaned and injured elephants at the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.
The Elephant Whisperers follows Bomman and Bellie as they care for Raghu, an injured baby elephant who gets separated from a herd. The couple belong to the Kattunayakan tribal group that has been protecting the forest for generations.
Chennai-based social activist Praveen Raj, who has taken up their case, told the Press Trust of India that in June lawyer Mohammed Mansoor filed a petition in the Madras High Court, seeking justice for the couple.
A legal notice was served on Gonsalves and Sikhya Entertainment – the production company run by award-winning producer Guneet Monga – last week. It said the couple were promised a proper house, an all-terrain multipurpose vehicle and sufficient financial support as compensation for their time, based on the income generated from the project, reported PTI.
The notice alleged that, though the couple were introduced as the real heroes of the documentary, Gonsalves pocketed all the financial benefits received after it won the Oscar.
It asked for Rs20 lakh ($33,000) to be paid to the couple “as a gesture of goodwill”, saying that the money would take care of their housing as well as their needs in old age.
Bomman and Bellie were felicitated by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, who presented them with a cheque of Rs100,000 each, along with a citation. The two also met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he visited the elephant camp in April.
“Both Bomman and Bellie are disappointed with Gonsalves, who had promised them monetary help as well as help with the education of Bellie’s granddaughter, while making the film. But she now refuses to give even a fraction of the enormous profits made from the film,” said Mr Raj.
“Gonsalves is not even picking up the phone when Bomman calls.”
In a statement to BBC Tamil, the filmmakers denied the allegations, saying they had “deep respect” towards all contributors of the story.
Gonsalves added: “All the allegations made by Bomman-Bellie are false, there is no truth in their allegations.”
Gonsalves and Sikhya said the documentary raised awareness and had a real impact on the community that took care of the animals.
“The documentary’s success was a ‘moment of national pride’ that has brought widespread recognition for the work of mahouts like Bomman and Bellie,” they said.
After the story made headlines, Bomman told a media outlet on Aug 7 that he wasn’t aware that a legal notice had been sent and did not know the lawyer behind it.
But on Aug 10, he confirmed to the BBC that they had indeed sent a legal notice, and it hadn’t been withdrawn.
Mr Manzoor also told the BBC that “the claims that we have taken back our legal notice are baseless and absolutely fake”.
The lawyer said on Sunday that he received a reply from Sikhya Entertainment in which Gonsalves refused any more help, stating that she has already given money to the couple.
“I will be sending her a rejoinder after consulting my clients,” said the lawyer.
Indo-Asian News Service
