— Kartiki Gonsalves, Director of The Elephant Whispers at the Oscars

The Elephant Whisperers is a captivating Tamil language documentary that tells the heart-warming tale of two extraordinary individuals, Bonna and Bellie and their unbreakable bond with two orphan elephants, Raghu and Ammu.

Set in the stunning landscape of Mudumalai National Park, Tamil Nadu, the short film is an emotional roller-coaster and a must-watch for all those looking for an existential experience.

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Here are some interesting facts about the movie:

The Significance of the Date

The 13th of March is important for India and Thailand for different reasons.

In Thailand, on the 26th of May 1988, the government declared the 13th of March to be celebrated as Thai National Elephant Day, also known as Chang Thai Day.

Meanwhile, on the 13th of March 2023, an Indian film that explores the empathetic bond between two orphan elephants and their caretakers receives one of the most prestigious awards in the international film industry, the Oscars.

This recognition not only honours the film industry but also brings attention to the importance of elephant conservation and highlights the role of caretakers who dedicate their lives to protecting and caring for these magnificent creatures.

The First to Oscar Win for an Indian Production

Directed by Kartiki Gonsalves and produced by Guneet Monga, The Elephant Whisperers won the Best Documentary Short Film at the 95th Academy Awards beating Haulout, The Martha Mitchell Effect, Stranger At The Gate, and How Do You Measure A Year?

It marks the first-ever Oscar win for an Indian production. However, before this achievement, two documentaries, Fali Bilimoria’s The House That Ananda Built and Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s An Encounter With Faces, had been nominated for the Oscars in 1969 and 1979, respectively.

The Directorial Debut

Kartiki Gonsalves is an Indian natural history and social documentary photojournalist/filmmaker. She had a chance encounter with Raghu, the baby elephant and star of her documentary, which made her rethink her decision to return to her hometown.

For her, the Netflix film marks a significant milestone in her professional and personal life, serving as her directorial debut. Gonsalves had previously established herself as a highly accomplished wildlife and social documentary photographer, photojournalist, and cinematographer.

Despite her flourishing career in these fields, she decided to shift her focus and take on the director role for this project, driven by a different cause.

The Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary 

The Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, which provides an incredibly attractive backdrop for the film, is located in the northwestern region of the Nilgiri Hills. It is situated approximately 150 kilometres northwest of Coimbatore city and is part of the Kongu Nadu region of Tamil Nadu.

The Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary is an excellent habitat for numerous endangered and vulnerable species, such as the Indian elephant, Bengal tiger, Gaur, and Indian leopard.

The sanctuary boasts a high level of animal diversity, with 13% of all mammals and 8% of all bird species in India present within it.

The Tribal Community of Tamil Nadu and Kerala

The Kattunayakan community is one of the 75 “Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups” (PTGs) in India and resides in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In Kerala, they are mainly located in Wynad, Kozhikode, and Tamil Nadu districts. They occupy the Gudalur and Pandalur taluk in the Nilgiris.

Historically, the Kattunayakans were known to be hunter-gatherers and were named after their status as forest leaders or chiefs, with ‘kadu’ (forests) and ‘nayakan’ (leader/chief) forming the basis of their name.

Banner Photo Credit: Poster From The Elephant Whisperer

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AR Rahman recently joined the cast of Heropanti 2 to promote on The Kapil Sharma Show. AR Rahman was shown comments below his photo with Will Smith published in 2018 as part of a segment of the show when host Kapil Sharma shows humorous comments on guests’ Instagram photos. Rahman was seen calling Will a “sweetheart” as they all joked about how people discussed Will’s slapgate scandal in the comments section.

Rahman’s words against Will elicited conflicting reactions from Reddit users when a video clip from the show was uploaded online. “He is a darling,” Rahman said when shown a photo of Will. He is a pleasant individual.” “Sometimes such things happen,” he added, implying Will slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars.”

“Great point!” a Reddit user said in response to AR Rahman’s take on Will Smith. However, you shall be demoted to the moon.” Several others sided with Rahman, stating that he had the right to speak his mind.

“A man can have an opinion!” said one person. Will Smith’s supporters aren’t all psychopaths or abusers! We should have the patience to listen to both views without passing judgment…something that today’s ‘enlightened’ world lacks. If you hold an unpopular viewpoint, you will be crucified.” “Fair enough,” said another. “He has the right to his views.”

Many others were also dissatisfied with Will Smith’s performance at the Oscars this year. “I agree with you if you say Will Smith is a terrific guy who just had a bad f***ing day. However, violence can never be the best solution!! “Just keep trying,” one Reddit member advised.

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Weeks after a whirlwind frenzy over Will Smith slapping Chris Rock during the Oscars, a lot has happened. After Will apologized to Chris through Instagram, the hits keep on coming for the Bad Boys actor. The Oscars have decided to ban him from the awards which came after Will Smith publicly resigned from the academy. Sony and Netflix followed with an announcement putting Will Smith’s projects on hold.

On top of these, the media has dug up old rumors on Jada Smith’s affairs with Tupac and even Chris Rock. Some claimed that the slap was in part a response to the rumor that Jada and Chris went on a private getaway without the knowledge of the actor.

Jada has continuously called for “healing” saying that his family is going through these changes together. The slapping incident has reopened old wounds that were not acknowledged for a long time. Their marriage had many problems in past and it has resurfaced all in under one month.

Among the issues is the admission of Jada Smith regarding her affair with August Alsina, a 29-year-old musician. Will Smith remained positive about these allegations, in an interview he said they never hide things from each other. He also said that he and his wife talk about everything so there are no surprises.

Another factor that people are looking into is Will Smith’s $350 million fortune which could be split in half if the divorce pushes through. This will be the cause of a lengthy divorce discussion between the two considering they have 2 children.

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There’s a rumor that something is wrong with their utopia. Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have openly admitted to being in a relationship on numerous occasions. According to some stories, Chris Rock and Jada Pinkett Smith supposedly had an affair, which could have added to Will Smith’s dissatisfaction. However, there is no evidence to support this. Chris Rock and Jada Pinkett Smith collaborated on the Madagascar films and were considered to get along well.

Will Smith and Chris Rock met on the set of Prince of Bel-Air, and they’ve been friends ever since. In fact, Chris Rock previously remarked that when it comes to comedy, Chris Rock is off-limits for him. In 2016, however, Chris Rock mocked Jada Pinkett Smith for participating in the #OscarsSoWhite boycott at the Oscars. He’d started, “Jada has stated that she will not be attending the demonstration. ‘Isn’t she on a TV show?’ I wondered. “Jada’s boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s underwear,” he continued, adding, “Jada boycotting the Oscars is like me boycotting Rihanna’s underwear.” I hadn’t been invited!”

He made fun of Jada once again at the Oscars in 2022, and all hell broke loose. Will Smith apologized, saying, “My actions at the Academy Awards last night were both wrong and inexcusable. Jokes about my medical condition are part of the work, but one about Jada’s illness was too much for me to handle, and I reacted emotionally.’ Chris, I’d like to officially apologize to you. I was both out of line and incorrect. I’m embarrassed, and my actions do not reflect the guy I aspire to be. Violence has no place in a world of love and peace.”

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“The Board has decided, for a period of 10 years from April 8, 2022, Mr. Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards,” Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson said in a statement on Friday.

“I accept and respect the Academy’s decision,” Will Smith said acknowledging the decision of the Academy.

The Academy’s letter added: “The 94th Oscars were meant to be a celebration of the many individuals in our community who did incredible work this past year; however, those moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behavior we saw Mr. Smith exhibit on stage.”

“During our telecast, we did not adequately address the situation in the room,” the letter went on to state. “For this, we are sorry. This was an opportunity for us to set an example for our guests, viewers, and our Academy family around the world, and we fell short — unprepared for the unprecedented.”

The Board of Governors said in a previous statement that they wanted the matter to be “handled in a timely fashion.”

Smith’s resignation means that he is no longer part of the Academy’s voting body, but it does not prevent the Oscar winner from being nominated in the future. Smith can also still be nominated despite being barred from attending the Oscars.

He is set to present the best actress award next year, however, this tradition will have to be replaced due to the ban.

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British newspaper The Sun, reported that Will Smith will spend some time in a rehabilitation clinic. The impact of the backlash has hit Will hard, so he will be getting help on dealing with stress,” explained the newspaper.

“This is unquestionably the battle of his career. It will be a high-end retreat used by the rich and famous and he will be doing a lot of soul searching and working out how he can move forward,” continued telling’ The Sun’.

Will Smith hopes, according to the newspaper’s source, to return in time to save his career and reputation. Recall that, after the official apology, the actor has already been dismissed from the Academy of Motion Picture Oscars after the assault.

Days after the slap was on the air, Will issued an apology and officially resigned from the Academy. The academy was sent to meet to talk about possible repercussions imposed on the actor. Sony and Netflix also put both of his projects on hold. His career was in shambles moments after he won the Best Actor award.

“I resign my membership in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and will accept any other consequences that management deems appropriate,” Will Smith said in a statement.

For its part, the awards organization opened a disciplinary file against the performer for “inappropriate physical contact, abusive or threatening conduct and compromising the integrity of the Academy.”

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In his talk during the Bishop T.D. Jakes’ leadership summit in Washington, he was asked about the incident.

“Well, there’s a saying when the devil ignores you, then you know you’re doing something wrong,” Washington said in a video of the exchange posted on Jakes’ verified Twitter account.

“You know, the devil goes, ‘Oh, no, leave him alone, he’s my favorite. Don’t bother him.’ Conversely, when the devil comes at you, maybe it’s because you’re trying to do something right. And for whatever reason, the devil got a hold of that circumstance that night.”

During his acceptance speech, Smith said that prior to his win, fellow nominee Washington shared some wisdom with him: “At your highest moment be careful, that’s when the devil comes for you.”

“Fortunately, there were people there, not just me, but others in the gap,” Washington told Jakes. “Tyler Perry came right immediately, right over there with me.”

Washington would not say what the three men spoke or prayed about after the incident.

“Who are we to condemn?” Washington asked. “I don’t know all the ins and outs of the situation, but I know the only solution was prayer.”

Will Smith issued a public apology on Instagram and respectfully resigned from the Oscar Awards. His projects with Netflix and Sony were both on hold.

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Just a few days ago, the internet was on fire following Smith’s televised attack on Chris Rock on the stage. Chris Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife Jada regarding her haircut. She was battling alopecia which causes her hair to fall out. At first, everybody was laughing about the joke, even Will himself. Moments later he stood up and slapped Chris Rock. Many thought that it was staged but quickly realized it was not when Smith yelled profanities during the live show.

Netflix announced that their upcoming movie “Fast and Loose” is on hold. Smith was to play a crime boss with a memory problem.

Sony is also putting the brakes on “Bad Boys 4,” which had been gearing up ahead of the awards show. THR also reported that Bad Boys 4 is allegedly on hold following the events of Sunday’s ceremony, despite Smith receiving 40 pages of the script prior to the slap.

Smith’s Apple TV+ drama Emancipation is currently in post-production, set to premiere sometime in 2022. However, Apple has not announced a formal release date.

The response of these companies comes after the controversial slap moment. Will Smith already issued apologies to Chris Rock and the Academy. He also resigned from the Oscars following their verdict of “appropriate actions” will be taken against him.

There have been mixed opinions on the incident as some say it was inappropriate but some say it was well deserved. Only time will tell if Will Smith will be canceled by Hollywood following the incident.

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To all Netflix users out there – Netflix plans to charge extra for sharing accounts with other households. Netflix announced that they will charge an additional fee to users who share their accounts with people from other households.

After a recent increase in Netflix fees in Europe and the US, the streaming platform announced a new policy. It is currently running in Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru and without a doubt would be launched globally.

The Policy

“When a device outside of your household signs in to an account or if an account is accessed persistently from a location outside of your household, we may ask you to verify that device before it can be used to watch Netflix,” said Netflix.

“We do this to confirm that the device using the account is authorized to do so.”

The sharing of accounts is common for families staying apart. The most common example is a son or daughter off to college. Sharing the accounts is actually against their policies.

“The Netflix service and any content accessed through the service are for your personal and non-commercial use only and may not be shared with individuals beyond your household,” its terms read.

According to Netflix, sharing your password with others, not in your household “impacts its ability to invest in great new TV and films.”

“As a result, accounts are being shared between households – impacting our ability to invest in great new TV and films for our members.”

The Charges

“Members on our Standard and Premium plans will be able to add sub-accounts for up to two people they don’t live with – each with their own profile, personalized recommendations, login, and password – at a lower price: 2,380 CLP in Chile, 2.99 USD in Costa Rica, and 7.9 PEN in Peru,” Ms. Long said.

Users in these countries will also have the option to transfer profile information for anyone outside their household to a new account.

“We recognize that people have many entertainment choices, so we want to ensure any new features are flexible and useful for members, whose subscriptions fund all our great TV and films,” Ms. Long added.

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1. FYRE – The Greatest Festival That Never Happened

This is the story of Billy McFarland the founder of Magnises and Fyre. Magnises is a steel credit card design that millennials can use. It comes with an app that shows them great discounts and perks. They can also crash their famous New York clubhouse anytime.

After a successful launch of Magnises, Billy partnered with Ja Rule to launch Fyre. It is an app you can use to book any artist you want for events. It was a good idea and could open a new market in the industry. As part of the ways to promote the app, they thought of doing a music festival in the Bahamas. They claimed it was on Pablo Escobar’s famous island. They also said they have a five-star diner, people will stay in luxurious tents, and also, a real-life treasure hunt. Too good to be true? That’s because it is.

When people arrived at the venue, there were no accommodations, no singers or band, no return flight, no food, no luggage, and just more drinks. Many were stuck for hours trying to back home as the festival’s façade crumbled.

• Inventing Anna

Allegedly a friend of McFarland, Anna Delvey, or rather Anna Sorokin introduced herself as a daughter of a billionaire. She quickly made it into New York’s elite circles. She did appear to have the fanciest clothes, cash, and the right background. Little did everyone know that she was the daughter of a middle-class German-Russian family.

She almost had millions of dollars to fund her Anna Delvey Foundation however, she was apprehended at the last minute. It was found that she was defrauding banks, cashing checks that came from a fund that did not exist.

• Tinder Swindler

Now to complete the trio is Simon Leviev who was believed to have conned women of $10 million. He introduced himself as the son of the diamond king, billionaire Lev Leviev. He did show up in fancy cars and luxury jets and vacationed around the world.

After roping a girl into a relationship, he would begin to ask for financial favors from women. He made them believe that it was a life-and-death situation. The women took out loans for him and also registered new credit cards for his use.

Eventually, women got tired of his excuses not to pay, they took it to a national newspaper for investigation. They published an article about him. He was then apprehended shortly for fraud.

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The Eight Hundred is a movie that is based on the true story of how 800 soldiers defended Shanghai from the Japanese advance. Set on the Sihang Warehouse in 1937 during World War II, it shows the stories of the NRA soldiers.

In what became known as the Battle of Shanghai, the Imperial Japanese Army entered Shanghai. The Chinese army was compelled to retire owing to the threat of being trapped after fighting off the Japanese for nearly three months and incurring tremendous losses.

Lieutenant Colonel Xie Jinyuan of the 524th Regiment of the National Revolutionary Army’s under-equipped 88th Division led 452 young officers and soldiers to defend Sihang Warehouse against the 3rd Imperial Japanese Division, which numbered around 20,000 men, in a heroic suicidal last stand against the Japanese, as ordered by Generalissimo of Nationalist China.

The decision was taken to give the Chinese people a morale boost following the defeats of Beijing and Shanghai. It also helped encourage assistance from Western powers, who could see the conflict from the International Settlement. They were in Shanghai, just over the Suzhou Creek.

Thoughts

The movie has shown the realistic effects of war on soldiers. We are were often portrayed as men marching to battle not afraid of what is ahead. In this story, you would see the reality of what it was like to go to war. It also shows how patriotism has shaped these soldiers. From cowering children to becoming real soldiers, it shows their journey from fear to bravery. It also shows how camaraderie takes place between strangers. The different personalities and thinking are all mixed in a warehouse that is forced to hold out attacks from the Japanese. It is good that the entertainment industry is shedding more light on these battles. It inspires our generation to appreciate what these soldiers have fought for.

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Anna Sorokin is once again trending as the Netflix documentary Inventing Anna is released. Sorokin is a Russian-born German who introduced herself as Anna Delvey in New York. She penetrated the elite circles with the backstory of a rich German heiress. She lived at lavish hotels and was also reported to tip $100 often.

Anna Delvey arrived in New York wanting to launch her project Anna Delvey Foundation. She was planning to build a museum for the arts. While she goes about planning, she flaunted her wealth by checking in at fancy hotels. She also eats dinner at fancy Michelin star restaurants. Many from the New York elite believed her story and began to accompany her.

Her friends were impressed with her financial status. The hotels however a beginning to catch up on her scheme. Many of the hotels were left unpaid as the card she gave them does not work. There were incidents where hotel staff had to lock her room until she pays the bill.

She also applied for loans from banks to fund her project. One of the banks refused her loan since they could not contact her alleged financial advisor. Another bank stipulated that if she could cover the legal fee of 100,000, they would approve the loan.

Scam

On one of her trips, she invited photographer Rachel Williams to join her. The vacation trip was luxurious and was supposed to be funded by Anna. During their vacation, the hotel confronted them that the card they provided was not working. Rachel, thinking it was an error of the bank, provided her card to the staff. She left Anna at the hotel since she had to fly back early for a project. When she arrived, she was surprised that the hotel charged her the entire bill.

This is when the house of cards began to fall when she finds out Anna was a fraud. All the time that she was part of the New York elite, she really had no money. The story about her being an heiress is also false. Her parents were part of the middle-class working people in Germany.

She was taken to court with multiple counts of fraud and was then sentenced to jail.

Netflix has shown many documentaries of such scams like Fyre and Tinder Swindler. It is understood that this is to create awareness however if the ones who committed fraud are being paid, are we just enabling them and not letting them learn from their mistakes? One of the positive things that came with it is that the victims can express their stories. Many documentaries of scams have led to GoFundMe pages to help them recover.

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Nirav Modi is a diamantaire who started the company Firestar diamonds. He is the first Indian jeweler to achieve international status. He has opened branches in the UK, in the US, and across the globe. Initially, people were not aware of his brand. However, in a span of a few years, he went from zero to top place. At the top of his game, no one truly questioned where did he come from or how did he do it?

In the midst of his success, rumors began spreading on how he achieved his funding. Some thought it was from mobsters, some say loans, and others add creative flares. Further investigation revealed that he was getting his funds from Punjab National Bank by securing Letters of Undertaking. He used them to pay suppliers. His loan reached ₹28000 Crore before his scheme was unveiled.

Prior to getting caught, he and his family flew the country. His wife and kids were in New York and Nirav was nowhere to be found. Eventually, a journalist from the UK recognized him and found his whereabouts. The battle to extradite him from the UK back to India began.

Nirav Modi is currently in a UK jail awaiting trial regarding his extradition. His defense claims “mental welfare” as his reason not to be extradited.  Most of his assets that were seized by the Indian government will be auctioned off. This is will be used to pay his outstanding balance with the Bank.

Bad Boy Billionaire India is available on Netflix.

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Simplicity

The narration was simple and easy to understand. The outline of the “playbook” is set in a way where it becomes interesting and comprehendible. This is especially to millennials and Gen Zs. The series was met with likes and high reviews not so much about the content but its presentation. It captured a laid-back talk regarding history. It really would seem like Peter is just chilling and chatting with you.

The Hand of the Queen

The interesting choice to have Tyrion Lannister himself talk to you about politics is a hit. For huge GOT fans, they would recognize the voice of Peter Dinklage as the genius political throne player Tyrion. His character was known to outwit his fellow contenders in a deadly game of thrones. He hates tyrants who happen to be his dad, Tywin Lannister, and his sister, Cersei Lannister. Two of the most feared tyrants of Westeros. His fame added to the allure of this interesting series.

Content

Admittingly there are a few things that the documentary had missed out on or might have intended not to say. This is common among documentaries these days and they tend to go with a certain narrative. You will hear the words “narcissistic” or “megalomaniacal” oftentimes on the episodes. This mostly undermines the philosophy of the tyrants as to why they did such a thing. Could it be possible that at the beginning they had good intentions? Most of them if you would see wanted to free their people from invaders, colonies, or bad governments. They might have overdone it a few years later but we must not undermine and dismiss their cause to narcissism or some god-complex issues.

Tyrant Overall

In this youtube, instructional video slash documentary slash being a tyrant for dummies mesh is fun to watch. How to become a tyrant provides a fresh and engaging way to present a boring historical documentary. It might have failed on showing how to be a tyrant well but it did set a new standard in documentaries. It is a titan standard for documentaries to bridge the generation gaps.

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