ELEPHANTS OF JAIPUR TORTURED AGAIN

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*Another hurdle for Jodha-Akbar*

 

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Posted online: Saturday, November 18, 2006 at 1333 hours IST

 

 

*Mumbai, November 18: *It was only recently that the Nawabs of Lucknow

questioned the authenticity of the Jodha-Akbar story. Even before that issue

gets resolved, Ashutosh Gowarikar has landed up in another trouble.

 

[image: Advertisement] This time it is for the use of animals during the

shoot. The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animal (SPCA) has sent a

notice to Gowarikar to stop the use of animals for shoot immediately.

 

Apparently, for a sequence in the film, Gowarikar is said to have used 80

elephants, 160 horses and 65 camels. The local division of the animal rights

organisation then sent a notice to him under the Prevention of Cruelty to

Animals Act, 1960.

 

Animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi has also joined the group to oppose the

shoot.

 

http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=336085 & ssid=1 & sid=ENT

 

 

 

 

Letter sent to Gowarikar over use of animals in " Akbar Jodha "

 

Jaipur, Nov 17: An animal rights body has sent a letter to filmmaker

Ashutosh Gowarikar asking him if he has obtained permission for using

animals in the shooting of his movie " Akbar Jodha " in Rajasthan.

 

The local office of Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, a

semi-government body registered with the Animal Welfare Board of India, sent

the letter on November 9, SPCA secretary Manish Saxena told reporters here

today.

 

Gowarikar is using 80 elephants, 160 horses and 65 camels for the shooting

of his film in Ramgarh, Saxena claimed.

 

" It came to our knowledge that your company is using/hiring animals for the

purpose (shooting of the film). We would like to know if you have prior

permission from the AWBI for the purpose, " Saxena asked in the letter.

 

Permission needs to be taken from AWBI for use of animals like horses,

camels and elephants in films, he said.

 

Asked what would be done if Gowarikar had not taken permission, Saxena said

the SPCA would take strict action under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

Act of 1960 and the shooting could be stopped.

 

Even if permission is taken, certain standards needed to be fulfilled,

including suitable atmosphere for the animals, fixed work hours and presence

of veterinary doctors, he said.

 

Gowarikar is already facing trouble here with the Sri Rajput Karni Sena

threatening to disrupt the shooting to protest what it claimed his

" tampering with historical facts " .

 

According to the Sena, Jodhabai was not the wife of Mughal emperor Akbar but

in K Asif's " Mughal-e-Aazam " , she was depicted as so and Gowarikar was

planning to do the same. The Sena alleged the director was portraying

Rajputs " wrongly " .

 

Bureau Report

 

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*[ 17 Nov, 2006 0049hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]*

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JAIPUR: After the Rajput community breathing down Bollywood director

Ashutosh Gowarikar's neck about " checking " historical facts about Mughal

emperor Akbar and Jodha Bai for his period production, now it's animal

rights activists who have sent him a legal notice for using animals while

shooting for the movie.

 

Gowarikar has been filming a Hrithik Roshan-Aishwarya Rai starrer based on

lives of Akbar and Jodha Bai here for the past fortnight.

 

Alleging that he has used 80 elephants, 100 horses and 55 camels for

shooting different sequences, Pashu Krurta Nivaran Samiti, a body working

for animal welfare, has asked the filmmaker if he had sought permission from

the National Board for Animal Welfare for the same.

 

The legal notice also sought a reply as to why Gowarikar should not be tried

for violation of the Cruelty Against Animals Act.

 

A member of the samiti, Manish Saxena, said a large number of animals were

subjected to hardship during the shooting and there was no facility of a vet

National Board for using the animals.

 

He said permission was granted on certain conditions relating to the

animals' welfare.