The Elephant Whisperers is a 2022 Indian documentary film directed by documentary filmmaker Kartiki Gonsalves. The documentary is about the bond that develops between a couple and an orphaned baby elephant, Raghu, who was entrusted to their care. It won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film at the 95th Academy Awards, making it the first Indian film to win an Academy Award in that category, surpassing other nominees such as Stranger at the Gate and How do you Measure a Year?.
Official release poster
A family group of elephants in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, India
The Elephant Whisperers team at the 95th Academy Awards
Image: Raghu Juvenile Camp Elephant Bathing Theppakadu Mudumalai Mar 21 A7C 00611
Kartiki Gonsalves is an Indian director and producer. In 2023, she won the Best Documentary Short Subject at the 95th Academy Awards for The Elephant Whisperers. She is also one of the first women chosen as a Sony Alpha Artisan of Imagery in India and also associated with brands like Peak Design, Swarovski Optik Nature Explorer 2021.
Gonsalves in 2022
Raghu at Theppakadu Elephant Camp
Kartiki and Priscilla Gonsalves at the 95th Academy Awards