Zeenat Aman shared this image. (courtesy: thezeenataman)
Zeenat Aman's latest Instagram post showcases her deep love for wildlife. The actress shared two pictures. In the first frame, we can see the actress posing alongside small elephant figurines. Next, we get a glimpse of a newspaper report from 1974. The report featured a picture of Zeenat Aman and Dev Anand at a fundraising event for animals that coincided with the premiere of their film Heera Panna. In her caption, the veteran star expressed her recent dismay after witnessing the suffering of an elephant on a shooting set. She wrote, “I was brought to tears recently when I arrived on set to find an elderly, domestic elephant on the scene. She was standing on the burning asphalt, bejewelled and bedecked… and she stayed there all day as the cameras rolled. I was bound by contract to do my job, but I am absolutely guilt-ridden that such a majestic animal suffered for my job and your entertainment.”
Zeenat Aman also expressed her emotional pain regarding the captivity of animals. She added, “The plight of animals, both domestic and wild, has always distressed me. I do not believe that any wild animal belongs in captivity, especially not an animal as perceptive, intelligent and emotional as an elephant. From the little I have learnt about this species, I know that they are highly sentient, social animals. To keep them in captivity is to willingly support cruelty.”
The star also appealed to her industry colleagues to avoid bringing animals on sets. She said, “It is my sincere and urgent appeal to my colleagues and compatriots in the film industry to avoid bringing wild animals onto set at all costs. We are so lucky that India hosts the majority of the Asian elephant population in the world, and that this species is our National Heritage Animal. We are also blessed to have numerous organisations in India that work towards the welfare and conservation of this incredible animal. I am sharing a few resources from such organisations on my stories. I will be elated if you peruse them.”
Referring to the old news report, Zeenat Aman shared, “My concern for wildlife is an old story - please swipe to see a snippet from 1974 - but it is only now that I am in a position to make more concerted appeals on these matters. And since I could not bear to pose with the beautiful ele that was subject to the chaos of our set, here is a picture of me with ‘my' elephants that I have collected over the years.”
In the end, the star asked her followers to share their favourite wildlife encounters. Zeenat Aman wrote, “In honour of this sentiment, today I would like to hear about your favourite wildlife encounters! Please leave a comment, and remember that the operative word here is “wild”. No comments about captive wild animals please! This includes performing monkeys, bottle-feeding tigers, talking parrots and all the rest. Signing off with hope for a kinder world where non-human species are afforded the dignity they deserve.”
Many fans and celebrities showered love in the comments section of Zeenat Aman's post. Dia Mirza wrote, “We have the most lifelike beautiful animatronic elephants now. No reason why anyone should be using real elephants for shoots. Also, thank you for using your voice for such an important message.”
Faraz Arif Ansari, director of Zeenat Aman's upcoming film Bun Tikki, said, “Thank you, Zeenat ji, for all that you do. More power to you, your pen and your voice. May it always remind us to be kind. Tight hugs.” Ayesha Shroff shared red heart emojis, and Tara Sutaria dropped some black hearts.
Check out Zeenat Aman's post below:
On the professional front, Zeenat Aman is all set to appear on the big screen with her film Bun Tikki. The movie also features Abhay Deol and Shabana Azmi in important roles.