'Oscar success will inspire more wildlife films’

The triumph of the Tamil documentary film 'The Elephant Whisperers' at the Oscars will inspire more films on wildlife and conservation, say renowned wildlife filmmakers from Karnataka.

Kartiki Gonsalves' debut effort — which won Best Documentary Short at the 95th Academy Awards on Monday — is about a heart-warming bond between an indigenous couple and an elephant. Set in the Mudumalai National Park, the film reflects the lives of tribal people and their love for nature.

"The Oscar nomination itself was a great achievement," says wildlife photographer and filmmaker Krupakar of the famous Krupakar-Senani combination.

If not for the nomination, people wouldn't have been curious about the film. The film's victory will encourage youngsters to aim for such success, he told DH.

“Right now, we see that wildlife documentary filmmakers aren't making full-fledged films. They are roped in to assist in video and photography projects. Hopefully this will change after the Oscar win," he says.

In recent times, Indian documentaries are gaining international recognition. This year, 'All That Breathes', a documentary about two brothers from Delhi rescuing injured birds, was in the Oscar race in the Best Documentary Feature Film category.

"It was disappointing that 'All That Breathes' did not win the award. Apart from being solid in form, the documentary is intelligent in its conception. Today, documentaries have immense scope to showcase their works to a wider audience. Earlier, we had limited options such as the National Geographic, Animal Planet and Discovery Channel," he says.

The need for original narratives in the genre is greater now than ever before, says Amoghavarsha J S, wildlife filmmaker known for his documentary 'Wild Karnataka' (2019) and the recent docudrama 'Gandhada Gudi' (2022).

"The Elephant Whisperers' celebrates an eastern viewpoint, like 'Gandhada Gudi'. It is important for these films to shine on the international stage because India has more such conservation stories to tell the world," he says.

Amoghavarsha says it is crucial for docudramas to reach the masses. "I wish we get to a point when OTT subscriptions are affordable for everyone. Till then, we must take our films to the theatres. But then, the challenge is that the genre is quite niche," he opines.