The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) is cracking down on movie producers using animals in their films. The AWBI has banned the use of monkeys, tigers, panthers and lions in movies and issued 26 guidelines to producers.
Movie makers ignored some AWBI guidelines in the past, leading to objections, involvement of the authorities and a disruption to shooting schedules.
This is a welcome step, and I applaud the efforts of the Indian Government. Scenes in movies involving animals, however innocent they might appear, usually have a grim behind-the-scenes reality. Animals are made to do innocent acts on screen, but only
after they have been tormented and forced into performing the way the script demands. When you see an animal “smiling” on the screen, don’t be fooled to think that the animal is actually smiling - it’s being forced to widen it’s cheeks under pressure from it’s handler who’s standing right behind the camera with a stick. However, I do agree that simply filming animals in their natural habitat should be allowed and is actually recommended for public awareness. So Please - Please do not shoot animals in films for the sake of entertainment!
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we have a final solution to this problem
28.01.2009 12:33
netcu
Good News!
28.01.2009 23:45
For this legislation to work, it has to be enforced, and that means setting up a (scuse the pun...) watchdog with real legal clout, who can both investigate and fine studios, possibly even getting people arrested for maltreatment of fellow species.
I hope this will be the end of an extremely unpleasant era in India's film industry.
As for 'Chav hunting' - why did they bother posting it?
Aside from anything else that video is ancient history and wasn't very funny the first time around, as it just reinforces nasty negative class stereotypes pumped out by the rest of the media.
At least Monty Python were a bit more intelligent with their criticism of the English class system.
A Nonny Mouse.