Felt proud seeing Indian representation at Oscars this year: Bhumi Pednekar

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 17 (ANI): Actor Bhumi Pednekar has congratulated team ‘Elephant Whisperers’ and team ‘RRR’ for their Oscar win and has even expressed her delight to see Indian representation on the global stage.

Speaking to ANI, Bhumi emphasised how she believes that both victories will now pave for Indian cinema to get the right recognition globally.
Bhumi said, “Since childhood, we’ve been waking up early in the morning to watch the Oscars every year but always felt why Indian films weren’t a part of it. I always questioned why a girl like me (of Indian descent) is not there…and why our films are not celebrated at the Oscars. But this time when I saw the (Indian) representation, I felt so so so proud!”

She continued, “I feel like this is just the start of many many films of our country that would be celebrated there and it definitely is a very very proud moment. And, we all are thrilled, we all are rooting and we all are celebrating both the winners (Team RRR and Elephant Whisperers).”

Team ‘RRR’ and ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ both won at the 95th Annual Academy Awards this year, making it a historic moment for Indian filmmakers and the audience.

A victory that felt very personal to every Indian was that of ‘Naatu Naatu’! The song that made millions groove to its beats was also performed on the Oscar stage by a power-packed singer duo Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava. The team lifted the trophy as the hall lit up with loud cheers and claps. The moment lyricist Chandrabose and composer MM Keeravani accepted the trophy will always be remembered as a revolutionary moment for Indian cinema.

During their acceptance speech, ‘Naatu Naatu’ composer M.M Keeravani said, “I grew up listening to the Carpenters and now here I am with the Oscars,” he began, and then began singing the melody of the ’70s pop smash “Top of the World”: ” ‘There was only one wish on my mind. … ‘RRR’ has to win, pride of every Indian, and must put me on the top of the world.”

Guneet Monga’s ‘The Elephant Whisperers’, a documentary directed by Kartiki Gonsalves paved way for many to believe that India truly can take the centre stage globally. It won the Oscar in the ‘Best Documentary Short Film’ category against ‘Haul Out,’ ‘How Do You Measure A Year?’ ‘The Martha Mitchell Effect,’ and ‘Stranger At The Gate’.

In her winning speech, Gonsalves said, “I stand here today to speak on the sacred bond between us and our natural world. For the respect of indigenous communities. For entity towards other living beings, we share our space with. And finally for co-existence. Thank you to the academy for recognizing our film highlighting indigenous people and animals. To Netflix for believing in the power of this film. To Guneet my Producer and my entire team and finally, to my mother father and sister who are up there somewhere, you’re the centre of my universe. To my motherland India.” (ANI)