The Elephant Whisperers made Oscar history last week when it became the first Indian production to win an Oscar. Director Kartiki Gonsalves and producer Guneet Monga accepted the award on stage with a standing ovation. There was a bitter moment, however, when the event’s producers cut Guneet’s emotional acceptance speech short due to a time limit on acceptance speeches at the awards.
Also, Read- Oscars 2023: Shah Rukh Khan congratulates RRR and Elephant Whisperers teams
The Oscars have a 45-second acceptance speech rule. If an award winner exceeds this time limit, the event’s live orchestra begins playing and drowns out the speech, effectively interrupting it. Such was the case with Guneet, who was confused on stage. The act was also criticized by many US media, who felt he should have been allowed to speak.
Guneet Monga has spoken openly about how it made her feel. Speaking to the TOI the filmmaker said: “I am very disappointed that my speech was cut. The shock was written on my face. I just wanted to say that it’s India’s first Oscar in an Indian production, which is a big deal. My heart started racing because I couldn’t have gotten this far without being heard. Western media is tearing up The Academy, which I wasn’t allowed to talk about. People are so offended that I didn’t get a chance to give my speech. There are videos and tweets on the internet expressing my disappointment at not being able to speak. That was the moment of India that was taken from me. But then I thought, okay, I’ll come back here and make sure they listen to me. I have multiple opportunities to share my thoughts and it is uplifting to receive all the love. So a little empathy can go a long way here!” (TOI)
Also Read- India’s ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ Wins Oscars For Best Documentary Short Film
The Elephant Whisperers is a documentary focusing on a tribal couple, Bomman and Bellie, and their connection to an injured baby elephant they are raising. The film took five years to make and was released on Netflix last year to great acclaim. It won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Film.