Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni honoured real-life heroes Bomman and Bellie, the elephant caregivers, and filmmaker Kartiki Gonsalves of the Oscar-winning documentary The Elephant Whisperers at a special event on Tuesday
Footage: Instagram
MS Dhoni presented personalised CSK jerseys to Bomman, Bellie, and Kartiki Gonsalves after training at the MA Chidambaram stadium on Tuesday. CSK will also be conducting a special felicitation ceremony for the trio at the stadium ahead of the match against DC today
The jersey that was given to the couple by Dhoni had their names printed on the back. CSK shared pictures and videos of the moment with the caption, “Roars of appreciation to the team that won our hearts! So good to host Bomman, Bellie, and filmmaker Kartiki Gonsalves.”
Rupa Gurunath, the owner of Chennai Super Kings, will hand over mementos along with Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited CEO KS Viswanathan. CSK will also present a cheque to Mudumalai Tiger Conservation Foundation towards the welfare of elephants
Hailing from Mudumalai, Bomman and Bellie were entrusted to take care of an orphaned baby elephant, Raghu. The couple took great pains to ensure that the fragile, injured calf was nursed back to health
The Elephant Whisperers documentary revolves around elephant caretakers who adopt two orphaned baby elephants in Tamil Nadu's Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. It lets viewers understand more about the lives of both the elephant and the human carers with minimal, outside interpretation
The Elephant Whisperers, in its 39-minute runtime, depicts an unbreakable bond between two abandoned elephant calves Raghu and Amu, and their caretakers, Bomman and Bellie
Kartiki Gonsalves' creative effort has not only captured this sacred bond between man and animal portraying co-existence in its truest form, but also showcases the traditional environmental conservation through the heart of rural Indian culture, stated CSK
“We are very happy to celebrate our elephant caregivers Bomman and Bellie along with Kartiki, whose engrossing storytelling spread the heart-warming tale far and wide. It is a matter of great pride for all of us that our own people have reached the global stage," said CSK CEO KS Viswanathan
“Conserving Asian Elephants is the need of the hour and we are also happy to extend our support to the two elephants Ammu and Raghu by contributing towards their living expenses,” said Chennai Super Kings CEO KS Viswanathan
The Elephant Whisperers is the first Indian production to bag the Oscar for Best Documentary Short. The documentary is now streaming on Netflix
Meanwhile, CSK has entered the final lap of the ongoing IPL's preliminary phase as they look to defeat Delhi Capitals in today’s match