Kartiki Gonsalves, a documentary filmmaker, and photographer from India, was born in Ooty on November 2, 1986. She is an internationally recognized Indian documentary filmmaker and photographer, who won the Academy Award for her documentary film The Elephant Whisperers.
Kartiki Gonsalves was born to Timothy A. Gonsalves (a professor and computer scientist) and Priscilla Tapley Gonsalves. She was raised in Ooty, Tamil Nadu, with her younger sister Danica in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
Gonsalves was a graduate of Dr G R Damodaran college of science in Coimbatore in 2007. Later, she pursued additional studies, focusing on photography.
Gonsalves worked as a camera operator at Animal Planet and Discovery Channel. She is a documentary filmmaker and photographer and directed The Elephant Whisperers (produced by Gunet Monga, and screened on Netflix). The documentary lasted 41 minutes and was shot at Theppakadu Elephant Camp which is located just 30 minutes away from Gonsalves’ childhood home.
The Elephant Whisperers was awarded the Academy Award for Best Documentary Film Short Film at the 95th Academy Awards in 2023. This made it the first Indian film ever to be honored with this prestigious award. Gonsalves is also a Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers.
Kartiki Gonsalves lives and works in Nilgiris, Mumbai.