Mumbai: An online post by veteran Bollywood director and actor Tinu Anand (79) threatening to beat barking stray dogs with a hockey stick in his Malad (West) locality has led to angry comments from animal lovers and activists, who are now demanding an apology from him.

Anand, who began his film journey as an assistant director to the legendary Satyajit Ray in his 1969 Bengali film ‘Goopi Gyne Bagha Byne', stated in his building's WhatsApp group that it was "terrifying" to see the local dogs bark at him at night after he returned from a rather difficult film shoot. He threatened to beat the dogs with a hockey stick and asked animal lovers to take all the dogs inside their homes, failing which they would have to face his wrath.

Activist and legal advisor to Pure Animal Lovers (PAL) Foundation, Roshan Pathak, said: "It is unfortunate that such a senior Bollywood personality can make such crass and careless statements about beating the local dogs with a hockey stick, only because they bark. I spoke to the local feeders in Anand's building at Malad, as they are disturbed by this threat issued on WhatsApp. I also messaged Anand that it is a crime to physically beat dogs and that it is natural for dogs to bark."

While PAL is demanding an apology from Anand, PETA India has expressed surprise that the senior film director has shown such anger towards the mutes.

"We are surprised by Tinu Anand's comments against stray dogs because a few years ago, when he and his family resided in Juhu, they would often visit our PETA India office in the same area and showed that they cared for the local community dogs. The Anand family also had their own pet dog whom they loved dearly. Sterilisation and vaccination are the best and only legal ways to control dog numbers and keep them healthy," said PETA India legal advisor and director of cruelty response Meet Ashar.

An animal feeder, Aanchal Chaddha, who resides in Anand's society, said: "We are concerned about this online threat he gave of hitting our street dogs. Anand should take back his words and apologize."

Chaddha said she had already adopted several stray dogs and kept them at her home, but since it is not possible to keep all the street dogs in the house, they are regularly fed outside.

The exact statement of Anand on the WhatsApp group was: "Have come back after a horrifying shoot to be greeted by terrifying dogs barking and not knowing who to bite next... Challenge taken. Have a hockey stick to face them... am warning all dog lovers hereon... take them home OR then face my wrath... my society is given advance notice."

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Bollywood actor and filmmaker Tinnu Anand has landed in hot water after a WhatsApp message attributed to him went viral online, drawing sharp criticism from animal lovers and the public. His message appeared to threaten stray dogs in his residential society in Versova, Mumbai, and it triggered outrage among many online. Amidst the backlash, the actor has now responded to the issue.

In response to the backlash, Tinnu Anand shared his side of the story in an interview with the Free Press Journal. “This is absolutely what I meant because my daughter has broken her wrist, and she's been undergoing treatment for the past month. It has cost me Rs, 90,000, as she has undergone two operations now,” he shared.

He explained that his daughter's pet was attacked by stray dogs, and she injured her wrist while trying to protect it. He questioned why dog lovers don’t leash the strays they care for, adding that even a local delivery man had stopped service after being attacked twice.

“I’m 80 years old, and if any dog attacks me, I have every right to defend myself. That is what I meant. That is what these people should have understood anyway,” he explained. He also shared that many are now portraying him in a negative light, and he is completely fine with that. He further stated that such incidents are not rare, as many dogs have been attacked, raising serious safety concerns.

“It’s not about attacking dogs; it’s just about defending myself, and I have every right to do so. These people are quoting the Supreme Court order. Where does the Supreme Court say that you can’t defend yourself against a dog attacking you?” he concluded.

The controversy erupted when his WhatsApp message went viral:“Have come back after a horrifying shoot to be greeted by terrifying dogs barking and not knowing who to bite next... Challenge taken. Have a hockey stick to face them... am warning all dog lovers hereon... take them home OR then face my wrath... my society is given advance notice."

Many social media users labelled him a real-life villain, and television actress Shweta Gulati also weighed in, stating, “Had such massive respect for this man, which is lost today. What a fool. Let’s pray he gets beaten soon.”

Bigg Boss is designed to court controversy, and this time, the Salman Khan-hosted show has irked audiences within days of it rolling. On Wednesday, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) wrote a letter to Khan and the makers, expressing concern over the use of a donkey, named Gadharaj, in the reality show’s 18th season (Keep the donkey out of it, October 10). In the letter, PETA highlighted that donkeys are naturally anxious animals, and being placed in a chaotic environment like the Bigg Boss set could cause undue stress. The organisation also suggested that the animal be relocated to a sanctuary.

When mid-day contacted Sachin Bangera, Vice President, PETA India, he asserted that using animals in show business for entertainment is wrong. “We don’t want filmmakers to use live animals. In this day and age, CGI [computer-generated imagery] and AI [artificial intelligence] can make it better. Baahubali and the recent Devara - Part 1 used CGI. PETA gave an award to Poacher; the elephants in it were generated by CGI. When you tell a story about animals, using them to convey it is counter-productive,” he reasoned.

The donkey was brought into the Bigg Boss house by one of the contestants, advocate Gunaratna Sadavarte. Soon, netizens took umbrage at its inclusion and expressed that it must be distressing for the animal.

Bangera says, “People called out the makers because they could see that the donkey wasn’t comfortable. It’s not entertainment for him. We can’t enjoy at their cost. The Animal Welfare Board of India has guidelines [about animal safety]. But no one from the board or an inspector is present on the set. In the US, they have inspectors on sets. But our point is, why use animals at all? Just because they don’t speak our language, we feel we are superior and think we have the right to use them for our entertainment.”

He added that PETA has not heard back from Khan’s team or the production house.

Actor Jackie Shroff responds to being declared the most beautiful vegetarian of 2023 by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India (alongside actor Zeenat Aman) in signature ‘bhidu’ fashion.

“Pehli baar kisi ne life mein most beautiful bola, mujhe bahut achcha laga. Maine apna chehra mirror mein wapas se dekha, ki kahan se beautiful lagta hoon main yaar,” laughs Shroff, who was recently seen in the slice-of-life film Mast Mein Rehne Ka (2023), adding, “I think they meant that the work I’ve done is beautiful. I never expected that such an award would come my way, but thanks to PETA for giving me the honour. There are many people like me but they chose me, what do I say.”

Lately, the actor’s rise in the pop discourse as a congenial, plant-gifting culinary guru has been noteworthy. He credits his mum for his vegetarian lifestyle. “Jab se mujhe yaad hai main vegetarian hi hoon. Jo mujhe apni maa ke haath ka khaana achcha lagta tha, aaj bhi wahi khaana khaata hoon. Zyada khaane ki aadat nahin hai, din mein ek hi baar khaata hoon. If I feel like it, I eat fruits and I mostly drink sattu,” says Shroff, adding that he finds the vegetarian diet easy on the digestion.

Does he aim to inspire fans to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle in any way? “I don’t want someone to preach this and I don’t want to go and tell people ki non-veg khaana band karo. Mujhe dekh kar agar kisi ko lagta hai ki yeh kha kar bhi aap healthy reh sakte ho, then I would feel good,” he adds.

Elaborating on his philosophy, the Atithi Bhooto Bhava and Phone Bhoot (2022) actor says, “It’s not just about being vegetarian, but agar koi stray dikh gaya, unhein utha ke help kar dena, there are many things that one can do. I like petting animals — be it cows, dogs, cats, goats or hens. Jab main inki aankhon mein dekhta hoon, mujhe pyaar aata hai unke liye. No one has the time to look into their eyes because everyone is busy looking at their phones,” he wraps up.

Heeding appeals from PETA India, BookMyShow has dropped from its ticketing platform circuses that use animals for entertainment. The decision by the movie- and event-ticketing company comes days after the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals put up a billboard outside BookMyShow’s Andheri office highlighting animal cruelty at circuses and also met the company officials. For now, the portal has stopped selling tickets for Asiad and Great Gemini circuses.

Five months ago, PETA India had also roped in Bollywood actor John Abraham to urge BookMyShow to discontinue tickets for circuses that use animals. On its billboard, PETA India featured boxer Vijender Singh with the message: “Knock Out Cruelty: Boycott Circuses”.

Sources said the ticketing company has expressly assured PETA India that it would form an official policy regarding circuses using animals.

Hiraj Laljani, PETA India’s associate manager of media and celebrity projects, said, “Few months back we approached Bollywood star John Abraham who is also an animal lover and requested him to write a letter on behalf of PETA India to BookMyShow to stop selling animal circus tickets from their portal.”

In the letter to BookMyShow, John Abraham cited a circus in Pune that was apparently using animals not registered with the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI). It pointed to the act that involved swallowing and regurgitating fish. 

“I hope that you will not side with cruelty and that BookMyShow will do the right thing by implementing a policy not to promote, sell a permit the sale of tickets of circuses that use animals,” it said. 

Acting on the letter and PETA India’s billboard outside its office, BookMyShow on Saturday dropped two circuses from its portal. 

PETA India’s director Poorva Joshipura told mid-day, “Circuses worldwide are moving towards using only consenting human performers who are free to come and go, get paid, and can retire—unlike animals who are caged, chained, and forced to do tricks for their entire lives under the threat of punishment.”

Commending BookMyShow for dropping the two circuses from its portal, Joshipura said, the e-ticketing platform has sold tickets for Rambo Circus whose owner was recently arrested for various violations of animal protection laws and let out on bail. “The Animal Welfare Board of India recently sought action against Ajanta Circus for using animals without the required certification.” 

The PETA India official added, “Circuses are so notorious for their cruelty to animals and disregard of animal protection laws that in 2017, 2019, and 2020, the AWBI advised the central government to pass legislation to stop the use of animals in  circuses. Last year, the Central Zoo Authority cancelled its recognition of the Great Golden Circus, the only circus that was still using elephants for performances.”

Officials from the animal rights organization said they recently collected appeals from 100 veterinarians from different states and got a petition signed by 1,00,000 students from across the country urging the minister of fisheries, animal husbandry and dairy to bring in laws to prohibit the use of animals in circuses.

Labradors are a popular dog breed in India but recently, its demand has increased even more in some cities, thanks to the recent Kannada film 777 Charlie. Ironically, the film touches upon the issue of unethical breeding and puppy mills and the effect they have on the health and well-being of these dogs. 

This is not the first time that a breed has seen a significant rise in its demand after being featured in a film or show. From the Indian spitz Tuffy in Hum Aapke Hain Koun...! to the pug in the Hutch advertisement, the bullmastiff Pluto Mehra in Dil Dhadakne Do and now the Labrador Charlie – pop culture has often made certain breeds popular, leading to a sudden rise in demand.

Animal activists, however, warn that bringing a pet home should not be a short-term plan based on temporary flow of emotions. They say, “Keeping a pet is a responsibility and people should be bringing a pet home only when they are ready for the responsibility. ”

When Marley & Me released, the demand for Labradors increased significantly. Similarly, when Hutch and Vodafone’s advertisements showed a pug following his human everywhere, the breed witnessed a huge rise in demand. The demand for bullmastiffs also rose to 60% after Dil Dhadakne Do’s release. Recently, activists share that they are now witnessing an increase in the number of calls for Labradors after 777 Charlie, warning that people should not be impacted by the flow of emotions.

Kaveri Rana Bhardwaj, founder, SMART Sanctuary, Canine Paralysis and Rehabilitation Center, explains, “777 Charlie’s director tried to show the bond between the dog and the human but the takeaway for many people was the fawn-coloured Labrador. When Marley & Me released, demand for Labradors in India increased tenfold. We receive abandoned Labradors every week with severe genetic diseases and there is no treatment for it.”

Kaveri adds, “I recently tweeted about a fawn-coloured Labrador that was up for adoption. Someone shared it on WhatsApp groups and mentioned by mistake that it is a female dog. After that, I got 150+ calls post 11 pm and I had to switch my phone off. I never get this kind of response for any breed. It was only later that I realised it was because of 777 Charlie. Shelter homes across the country are witnessing a higher demand for Labradors. My take is, see the bond, not the breed. The bond is ignored, abandonment has not stopped. We are crazy about breeds, but are we caring enough for them?”

Dr Vinod Sharma, Head of Veterinary services at DCC Animal Hospital, points out that he has not yet seen any change in the demand for Labradors because of the movie. “They have always been in demand as they are considered family dogs. People start associating the breed with a movie or an ad. The pug was in huge demand because of the Hutch and Vodafone ad – they remember the breed as the Vodafone dog. People get carried away but they forget that they need to take care of the pet as well.”

He adds that such demand often leads to irregular breeding and people should be considerate of that. “If people start demanding for a breed in huge numbers, breeders will not follow any standard for breeding, which most breeders don’t anyway. This leads to genetic problems in dogs. My advice to people is to not get carried away after watching a movie. Do proper research and know if you have the space and commitment to keep a dog,” he says.

Sachin Bangera, Vice President of Celebrity and Public Relations, PETA India, says, “Portrayals of specific dog breeds in films and television shows – including Game Of Thrones (Northern Inuit dogs that look similar to huskies), 101 Dalmatians, Legally Blonde (chihuahua), and Men In Black (pug) – have reportedly caused massive spikes in sales of the featured breeds, and many of these dogs are evidently later left at shelters by their ill-prepared guardians. We encourage people to adopt dogs from an animal shelter or the street and never to buy from breeders, online traders or pet stores, which fuel the companion animal overpopulation crisis.”

Sachin adds that anyone who would purchase a dog after watching a film about a dog who escaped a breeder and became a stray has totally missed the point of 777 Charlie. “When a certain dog breed is highlighted in the media, whether a pug or a Labrador, people flock to purchase that breed while keeping desi dogs languishing in shelters or on the street. Breeders and pet stores, cash in on the demand for specific breeds by forcing female dogs to produce litter after litter until their bodies wear out,” he explains.

Arpit Mathur, founder and Director of the Perroayuda Welfare Foundation (PWF), an animal welfare NGO based in Delhi, says, “People usually buy breed dogs after getting influenced by pop culture but once they feel that they are unable to take care of them, they abandon them. With the increase in sales, breeders sell puppies without proper nutrition from their mother’s milk. Female dogs are tied and forced to produce more and more puppies irrespective of their health conditions.”

Devanshi Shah, founder of Petkonnect, an online services provider for pets and strays all over India, adds, “About ten years ago, I had a pet which was a breed dog. At the time I was unaware of the poor practices breeders follow in India. My pet’s sudden death opened my eyes to the many gaps in the pet services sector. That is why we encourage a strong dialogue that is pro-adoption, and ask people to not buy from unethical breeders.”

Kaveri Rana Bhardwaj, founder, SMART Sanctuary, Canine Paralysis and Rehabilitation Center says, “I still remember the craze for Indian spitz and Pomeranian after Hum Aapke Hain Koun. . ! Many of them were abandoned later. Such breeds are being destroyed by inbreeding because of high demand from people who do not look beyond the initial craze. Nobody thinks that because of our increased demand, the torture on these dogs would also increase, breeders will resort to irregular breeding and this will result in genetic abnormalities,” she says.

Veterinarian Anand K Pandey adds, “The demand for Labradors now has increased more than 25%. When the demand is huge, people try all options – adoptions, contacting breeders on social media, and also going to the extent of getting dogs from other cities.”

It can’t be easy for animals to perform before blinding lights, cameras and crowds. That’s why the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) issued an advisory earlier this week, requesting makers of films, shows and ads to prioritize the use of technology over the use of live animals. The AWBI, under The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, is mandated to authorize the use of animals in films.

The advisory asks filmmakers “to use artistic and technological means instead of live animals in films, advertisements, TV shows and digital content”. In the advisory, the AWBI says that “animals are requested to be transported to far-off film studios and locations, sometimes even outside the state perimeter. At film sets, already stressed animals are exposed to crowds, artificial lights, chaos, often dressed up in costumes and made to follow commands to deliver the scenes. Against their natural instincts and behaviour, animals are forced to do unnatural actions such as driving, riding pillion, playing musical instruments and other physical gestures.”

It further states, “Welfare of animals on-set and off-set is imperative”. There have been instances of trainers routinely using methods “that involve coercion or punishment to force animals to perform, unnecessary pain and suffering”.

The board has taken note of “numerous complaints reporting that many animals have died or been injured on production sets.” Thus, it has advised “effective methods such as computer-generated imagery (CGI), visual effects (VFX), and animatronics should be prioritised instead of involving live animals.”

PETA had recently appealed against cruelty to animals for films, TV shows, advertisements, and digital content after a horse was reported to have died on the set of a Tamil film. “The AWBI has taken a step appropriate for modern times to encourage the use of existing technology in the production of films, TV shows, advertisements, and online content instead of forcing animals to perform,” says Khushboo Gupta, chief advocacy officer, PETA India.

WHAT PETA HAD TO SAY-- 

The makers of TV show Bandhan and the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) are involved in a legal battle over the issue of alleged cruelty to elephant calf Suman, who was the main character in the show. According to PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals), the baby elephant was not treated well on the set and after conducting an inspection, it was found that she had developed skin infection and exhibited abnormal behaviour. The case came up for hearing on March 20 in the Bombay High Court, but has been adjourned till April 1.

Dr Manilal Valliyate, director of veterinary affairs at PETA, says, “Suman and her mother were with a circus, but was sent to Jaipur through some illegal trading. Then the production company brought her to the studio in Gujarat. This recently came to our attention. Separating a three-year-old calf from its mother is unethical. The production house also didn't furnish proper information to AWBI, but somehow, the board allowed the use of the animal. When we notified AWBI that the calf had been separated from its mother and about the illegal trade through which the calf reached Jaipur, they immediately cancelled the registration of the animal. After that, the production house went to the Bombay High Court against the board, asking for the reason for cancellation of permission. Now, the case is sub judice. While all this was happening, AWBI pleaded with the court to allow inspection of the show's set. In the last week of January, the board sent a team of experts from the Centre for Studies on Elephants, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Kerala, a board member, a PETA veterinarian and officials from the NGO Animal Rahat. They inspected the calf and found severe violations.“

He adds, “Based on this report, AWBI moved a motion on the existing case, that the use of the calf should be stopped and she should be rescued and rehabilitated. The producers violated the norms of the Performing Animals (Registration) Rules. As per the law, they were supposed to send raw footage to AWBI from time to time and take an NOC from the board. All this was ignored by the production company . They had pleaded to the court that they won't be able to submit the footage daily but they can submit it on a weekly basis, and the court allowed it.“

Meanwhile, AWBI reps claim that the production house used another elephant in another show, Razia Sultan, without taking permission from the board. Dr S Chinny Krishna, vice chairman of the board says, “Initially, they received an application for the use of two elephants, one of them was Suman and the other was Pawan Mala, and the permission was given. When we came to know that the elephant was kept without its mother, we withdrew the permission. It was then that the producers went to court. Meanwhile, the committee got an application for an NOC for using another elephant called Parvati for Bandhan which was rejected. We also got to know that they used Parvati in Razia Sultan too without permission.“

Producer Siddharth Kumar Tewary didn't wish to comment on the issue since the case is sub judice. Sources close to the production house tell us, “The producers have not done anything wrong and are shooting with proper permission. The PETA reps created an issue and the AWBI cancelled the permission without giving any reasons. That's why we have been fighting a case for the last four months.“