The Oscar-winning documentary ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ has captured viewers’ hearts worldwide. But for one family in Kozhikode, it’s not just a matter of pride; it’s personal. Aswathi Naduthodi, the daughter of N Vasudevan, the man behind Kozhikode’s famous banana chips and halwa, was the post-production supervisor for the documentary.
Aswathi has been celebrating her team’s win in Hollywood, but she’s also quick to credit the project’s director, producer, and Netflix for making it all possible. “The captains of the ship in a film are the director and producer. It is only after Kartiki, Guneet and Achin, and Netflix that I can claim any credit. If they had not discovered the project, this would not have happened to me,” she said.
Aswathi left for Mumbai with a passion for the film when there weren’t many women on the technical side of production. She began her career in the industry as an assistant to director Bijoy Nambiar but soon discovered that her true passion lay in technology and management. She now focuses on production and post-production and has worked as a supervising producer on some films.
Some of her notable works include ‘Soorarai Pottru‘, ‘Minnal Murali‘, and ‘Uyare‘. The ‘Soorarai Pottru‘ production house, Sikhya Entertainment, was also behind ‘The Elephant Whisperers‘. Aswathi revealed that it took three years to complete the project, with over 250 hours of raw footage being processed to create the finished product.
Aswathi’s father, Vasudevan, passed away six years ago, and she admits she misses him the most at this moment of triumph. Her mother and sister now run the family business in Kozhikode, while Aswathi completed her visual communication studies in Coimbatore and started a post-production consultancy in Mumbai in 2019.
Aswathi’s success story inspires many, especially women aspiring to make a career in the technical aspects of the film industry. Her achievement highlights the need for more diversity in film production and the value of hard work and dedication in achieving success.
