Tamil docu edited by city girl a contender for Oscars – Times of India

Kolkata: ‘The Elephant Whisperers’, a film edited by a St Xavier’s College Kolkata alumnus, is an Oscar contender for Best Documentary Short. The Tamil film is about a couple who care for two orphaned elephant calves in Theppakadu elephant camp in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.
Sanchari Das Mollick studied in Loreto House and Calcutta International School, and pursued mass communication and videography at St Xavier’s. After graduation in 2002, she did a diploma in editing from Pune’s Film and Television Institute of India.
Growing up in Kolkata, and her connection with Satyajit Ray’s family, shaped her sensibilities. Her grandfather Monojendu Mojumdar was one of the founding members and treasurer of the Calcutta Film Society. “We were family friends with Ray. I am inspired by Ray’s storytelling and the way he used emotions to drive a story forward,” she said. Her mother Subha is also a known face in Kolkata’s documentary circuit.
In her 15-year career, Das Mollick has edited more fiction films than documentaries. Among these is the National Award-winning Marathi film ‘Naal’, directed by her husband. “For ‘The Elephant Whisperers’, I had 500 hours of footage that was brought down to a 40-minute film. It feels great to be on the short list in a year when there are four films from India,” she said.
The film has been directed by Kartiki Gonsalves and has Karan Thapliyal, Krish Makhija and Anand Bansal as cinematographers. Douglas Blush, whose ‘20 Feet from Stardom’ won Best Documentary Feature at the 86th Academy Awards, was co-editor.