New Delhi, Aug 09: Currently embroiled in a legal
wrangle for alleged violation of animal rights during shooting
of his movie, Bollywood actor Aamir Khan not only came out in
support for animal welfare but also shared the stage with
well-known animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi.
"I believe all life is one whether it is animals or
plants. Whether for luxury or entertainment it would be wrong
to trouble the animals," said Khan, who was in the capital
yesterday to support the endeavors of People for Animals
(PFA) an NGO.
The actor who is known to voice his concerns about different social issues said, "What PFA is doing is somethingwe all ought to support and I'm happy to be here."
Aamir was accused of filming a Chinkara deer, a Schedule
I animal under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, for commercial
purposes without taking due permission, during the shooting of
the movie 'Laagan', for which most of the shooting was held in
Kutch in 2000.
He alongwith his ex-wife Reena Dutta, the film's
producer, director Ashutosh Gowarikar, executive director
Srinivas Rao and photographer Ashok Mehta have all been named
in this case.
However Khan maintains that the Chinkara and the
relevant scenes were created using computer graphics. The
hearing for the case is still pending in the Gujarat High
Court.
In 2006, Aamir's name was again caught up in a controversy
in his criticially acclaimed film 'Rang De Basanti'.
Ironically, it was Maneka Gandhi who as a member of the Animal
Welfare Board of India (AWBI) had accused the film's producer
of using horses in the film without getting mandatory
permission from the body.
The 20 second scene in question depicts Aamir riding a
horse during the Nihang Festival celebrated by the Sikhs, that
was eventually deleted following the controversy.
"The Rang De Basanti controversy was more against the
rural sport that has been banned rather that use of animals.
The film-makers were unaware about this and hence didn't pay
attention," said Maneka Gandhi, PFA chairperson who was also
present at the function.
However, she refused to comment on Aamir's alleged
involvement in the Chinkara case.
Talking about Aamir's association with PFA, Gandhi
said, "He has star-power that will attract more and more
people towards the cause."
"Due to the efforts made by PFA the animal rights are on
the agenda today. A difference had been made as compared to
the situation 20 years ago and we are trying step by step to
fill the 'Ghada'" Gandhi said adding that it was not possible
to expect 130 crore people to change overnight.
Bureau Report
