Sanya Malhotra joins PETA India against elephant ‘joyrides’

Sanya Malhotra, the star of Netflix black comedy ‘Puglat’, is all set to turn heads again in a new World Elephant Day (August 12) campaign with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India.

Shot by ace photographer Taras Taraporevala, the ad featured a terrifying ‘cut’ made on Malhotra’s face by an ‘ankas’ (a sharp-edged device used to control elephants) In which his fans have been asked to “try to relate”. The fate of the animal by not riding an elephant. Her hairstyle and makeup were done by Natasha Mathias.

“When I act or dance on screen, I do it because it gives me true pleasure. But the ‘joyrides’ and the elephants used for performances have no choice: to subjugate them. I get beaten up and usually never get to see them. The family again,” Malhotra said.

Often when they are just two years old, the calves of elephants are separated from their mothers and either tied between trees with heavy chains and ropes – causing painful burns – or on a tight wooden crate. He gets imprisoned in the enclosure which is called ‘Karal’.

To break their spirits and force them to obey, the trainers beat the young elephants with sticks and hit them with ‘ankas’ – a weapon with a pointed metal hook at one end, as in Malhotra’s. shown in the advertisement.

Malhotra mostly appears in Hindi films and recently he has also worked in ‘Shakuntala Devi’ and ‘Ludo’. Her upcoming film roles include the romantic comedy ‘Meenakshi Sundareshwar’ and ‘Love Hostel’ alongside Vikrant Massey and Bobby Deol.