This Oscar morning has been like none other. With not just one, but two wins for India, the 2023 Academy Awards night has turned out to be quite eventful for India. Guneet Monga, Kartiki Gonsalves and the team bagged the Oscar for Best Documentary (short) for their documentary, The Elephant Whisperers. Guneet’s speech after the win truly warmed my heart. This film also made history as it was the first Indian production film to win an Oscar. Guneet Monga and Kartiki Gonsalves accepted the award with their team on stage.

This heartwarming documentary is based on the real-life story of an orphaned elephant calf named Raju, residing in Madumalai National Park, under the care of Bomman and Belli. The documentary not only celebrates the bond that develops between this indigenous couple and Raghu, the elephant. But also their environment and surroundings. The documentary is available on Netflix and is a must-watch if you love and care for animals.

Gunnet Monga warmed many hearts with her acceptance speech as she cheered on for women, as she paved a path for other filmmakers with this win, she added…

This is an incredibly powerful and historical moment. We as two women from India, stood on that global stage making this historical win. I’m so proud of this film, this moment and proud of my amazing team at Sikhya Entertainment, that an independent production house from India has made history to be the first ever Indian film by an Indian production to win an Oscar. My heart is racing with all the joy, love, and excitement in the moment. I’m so grateful to Kartiki, the wonderful visionary that she is. Netflix gave us the biggest stage in the world and supported us n believed in us all the way. Today I can say, the future for Indian cinema is audacious, the future is here and not to forget the future is truly female!

Check out the video of her acceptance speech below,

Congratulations to the team on this historic win, you deserve every bit of this!