Thankful, speechless, shocked: Makers react to Oscar nomination

CHENNAI: Bagging three Oscar nominations for India are the films - RRR, The Elephant Whisperers, and All That Breathes, under the categories ‘Best Original Song’, ‘Documentary Short Film’, and ‘Documentary Feature Film’, respectively.

The hosts Riz Ahmed and Allison Williams announced the nominations on Tuesday.

SS Rajamouli’s RRR, tells the fictional story of India’s freedom fighters Alluri Sitarama Raju (played by Ram Charan) and Komaram Bheem, has become an international phenomenon. The song, Naatu Naatu, bagged the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and also won at the Critics’ Choice Awards in the same category.

Helmer Rajamouli responding to the Oscar nomination wrote a heartfelt note on his social media handle which said, “My peddanna got an Oscar nomination for his song in my film. I can’t ask for more. I am currently doing Naatu Naatu more vigorously than Tarak and Charan.”

He went on to thank the entire team and his fans. He also congratulated the makers of All That Breathes and The Elephant Whisperers and said that it was the first time India had so many Oscar nominations.

On the other hand, after Kartiki Gonsalves’ directorial The Elephant Whisperer made it to the Oscar race by getting nominated in the Documentary Short Film category, the helmer is out of words at the love the film has received.

Taking to Instagram, she said, “I’m out of words at the moment but thank you to everyone who has been a part of this journey and supported me throughout my life and the past 5 years while making this film. You know who you are.

“A big thank you to the team The Elephant Whisperers and to Netflix and Sikhya for supporting this beautiful story that the world needs to see…”

The Elephant Whisperer talks about Bomman and Bellie, a couple in South India, who devote their lives to caring for an orphaned baby elephant named Raghu, forging a family like no other that tests the barrier between the human and the animal world.

The short documentary will be contending alongside Haulout, How Do You Measure a Year?, The Martha Mitchell Effect, and Stranger at the Gate.

After Shaunak Sen’s directorial All That Breathes made it to the 95th Oscar Awards, he took to Instagram to express his ‘shock’. “We’re all shocked, relieved and discombobulated. Deepest, most heartfelt thanks to our characters, the whole film team, and collaborators.

“We’re all at a loss of words-- but the main thing to note for now is that this only happened because everyone working almost moved worlds to somehow make the film reach the finishing line.”

The documentary is set in the darkening backdrop of Delhi’s apocalyptic air and escalating violence, in which two brothers devote their lives to protect one casualty of the turbulent times-- a black kite. The 95th Academy Awards is set to be presented at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 12.