Bomman and Bellie, the elephant caretakers who were the subject of the Oscar-winning documentary The Elephant Whisperers, have accused its makers of exploiting them and failing to compensate them adequately. Reports say that the couple claimed in an interview that the director, Kartiki Gonsalves, did not return the money that they spent on shooting a wedding sequence for the docu. They also claimed that they had no money to return home after attending an event in Mumbai for the film.

According to Praveen Raj, a social activist who has taken up their case along with advocate Mohammed Mansoor, they have moved the Madras High Court to get justice. Praveen states that Bomman and Bellie had recently approached him citing various grievances on how the director and the team have not kept their promises.

Praveen says, “The director promised better housing conditions, financial support for their granddaughter’s education and more, but the team hasn’t got back to them on these. After repeated neglect and their calls being avoided, Bomman and Bellie are heartbroken and have decided to take the case to the court.”

However, a source close to the director tells us, “There was never any promise of a house or vehicle. Whatever money we had agreed on in the contract was given. Whenever they travelled for anything, everything was taken care of. They had someone who was chaperoning them from the forestry department and everything was taken care of.”

Bellie, who was recently appointed as the first permanent woman elephant caretaker in the Theppakadu Elephant Camp, tells us, “The case was initiated by the lawyer who saw our plight and found out that we had not received any remuneration from the makers of the documentary. We don’t expect some huge help from them. They could at least repair the house where I’m taking care of my grandchildren and my injured son all by myself. When the lawyer told me about moving against Kartiki, I told them the forest department will be building a house for us, and till then, we will stay in this hut. But the lawyer said that they have made a lot of money and they should have given us at least some remuneration for the hardships they put us through. Kartiki has hurt us so much. While making the documentary, they said that they will definitely help us if the documentary does well. But now, she is not even ready to talk to us properly.”

In response to the allegations, the production house Sikhya Entertainment and the film’s director have sent out a statement that “All claims made are untrue. We have a deep respect for all of the contributors of this story, and remain driven by the desire to create positive change.”

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Mahout couple Bomman and Bellie, who featured in the Oscar-winning documentary The Elephant Whisperers earlier this year, have sent a legal notice to Kartiki Gonsalves, the director of the film, seeking Rs. 2 crore as a “goodwill gesture”.

The legal notice says that Gonsalves got financial aid from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Tamil Nadu government and that the couple was promised a proper house, an all-terrain multi-purpose vehicle and enough financial support as a one-time lump sum payment (without stating any amount) as compensation for their time.

“Gonsalves 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 by the film,” Pravin Raj, a social activist-lawyer and acquaintance of the couple, told PTI.

In a response sent to advocate Mohammed Mansoor, who is handling the case, the notice mentions that Sikhya Entertainment Pvt Ltd, which backed the documentary, “has flatly refused help”, stating that Kartiki has “already given money to the couple”.

The company issued a statement to the agency, which read: “The goal in creating The Elephant Whisperers has always been to highlight elephant conservation, the tremendous efforts of the forest department and its mahouts, Bomman and Bellie... All claims made are untrue. We have deep respect for all of the contributors of this story and remain driven by the desire to create positive change.”

When the Oscar awards were announced for ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ on Monday, the hero of the documentary, K Bomman, 55, unaware of the global stir it was causing, was busy taking care of an orphaned elephant calf in Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu. The calf’s mother was among three elephants that were electrocuted recently by an electric fence put up illegally in a farm.

Bomman’s wife Bellie, was, as usual, tending to elephants at the veterinary centre at the Theppakadu camp in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in the Nilgiris. Their lives have always revolved around wild elephants and abandoned calves.

They were the ‘foster parents’ of the two elephant heroes in the documentary, Raghu and Bommi, for two years, after which they were handed over to other mahouts about a year ago.

Bomman and Bellie, though, are yet to watch the Oscar-winning documentary. They have watched a bit of it, but not the full film. But as news of the documentary winning an Oscar spread, Bomman and Bellie were suddenly in the news.

Asked what he felt about the Oscar award, Bomman said rather nonchalantly, “It’s good. But it doesn’t make much difference to my life. My chosen job is to rear wild elephants and calves. I’m happy with that.” Bomman has been a mahout for 28 years. Belliesaid, “It is good to hear that the filmmaker’s efforts got recognition. I am happy.”

When Raghu and Bommi entered their lives, it was an emotional journey for Bomman and Bellie. It was the first assignment for Bellie as a caretaker though she had been with other elephants assigned to Bomman.

“We took care of Raghu like our own child. We spent many sleepless nights. It was the first time we were both involved in rearing a calf. It was a great bond between us,” said Bomman.

Two years passed and adding to their joy, another abandoned female calf, just three months old, from Sathyamangalam forest, named Bommi, came into their lives. “Our joy doubled. It was a life full of happy emotions,” said Bomman.

About a year ago, Raghu (now seven years old) and Bommi (three and a half years old) were transferred to younger mahouts for care. Bomman was assigned to another elephant, Krishna, and Bellie was relieved from work. But a month ago she was reinstated as a temporary worker in the camp.

Bomman said, “My wife and I were emotionally disturbed for a while after we had to leave Raghu and Bommi. After Raghu and Bommi, I am now assigned to take care of another orphaned calf and unite it with a herd in the forest in Dharmapuri. Until this job is done, this calf is our kutty (child),” said Bomman.