Kolkata, Mar 1: Dressed as a snake, Bollywood star Dia Mirza has starred in a new ad campaign appealing to people against making animal skins a part of their wardrobe.
The actress is seen wearing a fake snakeskin in the ad for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) with the caption reading,
“Face It: Exotic Skins Kill. Wild Animals Belong in the Wild, Not in Your Wardrobe”.
The ad, in which 30-year-old model-turned actress is “bloodied” to make it look as if she was skinned alive, which is the case for many of the snakes used in the skin trade, was shot by ace photographer Jatin Kampani.
“Skinning animals alive or beating them to death for a pair of boots or a purse cannot be justified,” said Mirza, an ardent PETA supporter.
“By choosing widely available fake snake and mock croc, you can pay tribute to these animals' beauty without stealing their skins and killing them.”
Snakes, alligators and other exotic animals suffer greatly before their skins are turned into shoes, bags and other products. Snakes are often nailed to trees or posts and skinned alive.
After the animals' peeled and mutilated bodies are discarded, it can take hours for them to die - usually from shock or dehydration.
Alligators are often crammed into small spaces on factory farms and then beaten to death with hammers or axes.
PETA had recently honoured Mirza's production house, Born Free Entertainment, with a Hero to Animals Award for promoting the adoption of homeless dogs in their film ‘Love, Breakups, Zindagi'.
Mirza joins Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon, who also posed for a PETA ad campaign against the cruel exotic-skins trade.
