Bailey is an Indian mahout, who works in the Tamil Nadu Forest Department. She made headlines in March 2023 after the short documentary film The Elephant Whispers (2022), in which she appeared with her husband Bomman, won an Oscar.
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Wiki/Biography
Bailey Amma was born in 1973 (age 50 years; as of 2023) in Mudumalai, Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu, India.
Physical Appearance
Hair Color: Salt and Pepper
Eye colour: dark brown
Family
Bailey was born in a Hindu family belonging to the Kattunayakan tribe in Tamil Nadu. Kattunayakan belongs to the Scheduled Indian Tribe (SIT) category.
parents and siblings
There is not much information available about her parents and siblings.
husband and children
Bailey’s first husband died after being attacked by a tiger. Her second husband, Bomman, is a mahout working in the Tamil Nadu Forest Department. Bailey married him in the late 2000s.
picture of bomman and bailey together
Bailey had a son and a daughter. His son died during the shooting of The Elephant Whispers. Her daughter, from her first husband, died in a local hospital after setting herself on fire.
Religion
Bailey follows Hindu religion.
Address
She lives in Theppakadu Elephant Camp, Nilgiris District, Tamil Nadu-643223, India.
livelihood
mahout
After the death of her first husband, Bailey was employed by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department to temporarily assist Bomman in the care of the rescued elephants. In May 2017, she began working as a caretaker for Raghu, a 3-month-old elephant rescued by Bomman. In June 2019, she was appointed as the caretaker of Bommi (aka Ammu), a female elephant calf. In 2023, Bomman said in an interview that she was working as a domestic help at the residence of a forest department official at Theppakadu elephant camp.
A picture of Bailey with Bommi and Raghu
elephant whisperers
In 2017, The Elephant Whispers directors and producers Karthiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga approached Bomman and Bailey to cast them alongside Raghu and Bommi in their short documentary film. The film completed production in 2022 and premiered on Netflix on December 8, 2022. The film received an Oscar on 13 March 2023. Talking about the film’s Oscar win, Bailey said,
The fact that my documentary, My Story, has won an Oscar has made everyone at Mudumalai Tiger Reserve happy. Both the tribal (indigenous) people and the forest department are happy. No one has taken any such action to acknowledge the efforts of the tribal (indigenous) people of Mudumalai. We are all isolated within the Mudumalai forest, with no access to the outside world. We have come this far because I have nurtured those two baby elephants.”
Bailey with her husband Boman in a scene from The Elephant Whispers
In April 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Theppakadu elephant camp, where he met Bomman, Bailey, Raghu and Bommi.
A photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Bomman and Bailey
On 9 May 2023, Bomman & Bailey and The Elephant Whispers director Karthik Gonsalves visited the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk, Chennai, where MS Dhoni presented them personalized jerseys.
Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni presenting the jerseys to Bomman and Bailey on 9 May 2023
Controversy
Legal notice to film producer Karthiki Gonsalves
In August 2023, Bomman and Bailey issued a legal notice to filmmaker Karthiki Gonsalves, demanding Rs. 1,000 as a ‘goodwill gesture’. 2 crores. The legal notice was issued by Chennai-based social activist Praveen Raj, who is also a practicing lawyer. Talking about this in an interview, Raj said,
Both Boman and Bailey are disappointed with Gonsalves, who had promised them financial help while making the film, as well as helping with the education of Bailey’s granddaughter. But now she is refusing to give even a part of the huge profits made from the film.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn