March 12 was a historic day for India as Guneet Monga’s The Elephant Whisperers bagged the Oscar award in the Best Documentary Short Film category. As soon as she and the director of the Tamil-language documentary lifted the award, wishes from across the globe started pouring in. However, a section of netizens was upset over the fact that Guneet was cut off from the stage as she was going to deliver her acceptance speech. Now, Monga has reacted to the incident in a chat with the Times Of India and stated that she was “disheartened,” and “India’s moment” was taken away from her.
It all happened during her conversation with the portal. The 39-year-old producer asserted, “I am extremely disheartened that my speech was cut off. There was a shock on my face. I just wanted to say it's India's first Oscar in an Indian production, which is such a huge thing. My heart started racing as I couldn't have come so far and not be heard. Western media is pulling up The Academy that I did not get to speak.”
She further added, “People are so offended that I did not get the chance to deliver my speech. There are videos and tweets online expressing disappointment that I couldn't get to speak. This was India's moment taken away from me. But then, I thought it's okay, I'll come back here and I will make sure I'm heard. I have got multiple opportunities to share my thoughts and it's heartening to receive all the love. So a little empathy can go a long way here.”
Besides this, Monga also talked about receiving an Oscar and how it feels. She explained, “It will take time for all this to sink in. It feels like the beginning of a new chapter for Indian cinema. This is the first Oscar for an Indian production. My team and I are thrilled to have represented India on a global stage. We are grateful for all the love that this story of indigenous people, an orphan baby elephant Raghu and the caretakers Bommon and Bellie, have received. This documentary touched the hearts of audiences worldwide. It's a huge honour for us and I dedicate this award to our beautifully diverse country, India. I am glad to be able to serve this vision of bringing women filmmakers to the forefront while winning nothing short of an Oscar.”
Also Read: Amul Celebrates The Elephant Whisperers’ win at Oscars 2023; Guneet Monga reacts
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