The Elephant Whisperers, an upcoming nature documentary short from India, just got a trailer. Set in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu, the documentary follows the heartwarming tale of an elderly couple, Bomman and Bellie, who devote their lives to caring for an orphaned baby elephant. Expect a lot of scenic shots with this one, as the couple bathe the gentle creature, tie a bell around its neck, and even name him Raghu — adding him to the family as their own child. The Elephant Whisperers marks Kartiki Gonsalves’ directorial debut, and is slated to release December 8 on Netflix.
The trailer for The Elephant Whisperers is focused on the little tantrums caused by the majestic creature, such as refusing to come into the shade when it’s raining or being fixated on a certain route when going on daily strolls. “He likes to walk only on this path. Nowhere else,” Bellie describes his habits. “See how naughty you are?” An older blurb from the title’s Netflix page indicated that caring for elephants was a generation-spanning family business, which is further expanded upon in this trailer, as we see Raghu being escorted into the nearby town for some undisclosed activity. There’s also a shot of him partaking in a religious ceremony, presumably to ward off any bad omen.
“Completing this film has been a dream come true. I’ve always felt a deep connection to our natural world. I am so privileged to tell this special story of Bomman and Bellie and their elephant calf, Raghu,” The Elephant Whisperers director Gonsalves said in a prepared statement. “The indigenous communities have a great store of knowledge to share with us on how to protect and nurture our environment and the creatures with whom we share it. My goal is to reach out, engage and touch the hearts of audiences across the globe and help them to better understand our connection to elephants and also other living beings we share our space with.”
The 41-minute-long short documentary will be available in Tamil, accompanied by English subtitles. The Elephant Whisperers is produced by Guneet Monga and Achin Jain under their Sikhya Entertainment banner, best known for the Irrfan Khan-led The Lunchbox. The Elephant Whisperers made rounds at the DOC NYC 2022 Film Festival in the US, earlier in November.
The Elephant Whisperers is out December 8 on Netflix worldwide.