Kartiki Gonsalves' directorial debut, The Elephant Whisperers, won the Best Documentary Short Film award at the 95th Academy Awards held on Sunday (Monday in India) in Los Angeles. Backed by Guneet Monga, the 40-minute documentary was set in Mudumalai National Park and focuses on the lives of Bomman and Bellie who devote their lives to care for an orphaned baby elephant named Raghu.

The Elephant Whisperers became the first film by an Indian production to win an Oscar, as expressed by Guneet. Post the big win, PeepingMoon.com spoke to the cinematographer of the documentary, Anand Bansal. Talking to us, he opened up about shooting the documentary, understanding wildlife and why is the short film relevant today.

Excerpts from the interview: