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on 2008/8/9 2:10:52
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 on Friday to support the endeavours 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 something we 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 critically 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 overnigh
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