01.11.10

CAS International ontving deze week een persbericht van Hindu-leider Rajan Zed, die zich aansluit bij de campagne tegen stierenleed in de Bollywoodfilm Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

Voor deze film zijn de hoofdrolspelers gefilmd terwijl ze deelnamen aan de beruchte stierenrennen in het Spaanse Pamplona, in juli 2010.

PETA India/UK waarschuwde CAS International in september over het voornemen van de filmmakers om de beelden van de stierenrennen te gebruiken voor hun film. Wij startten onmiddellijk een protestactie, die u hier kunt vinden. Inmiddels hebben meer dan 1.000 mensen aan deze actie deelgenomen.

Angstige stieren en ossen zoeken steun bij elkaar tijdens de opnamen

We vragen iedereen die nog niet heeft geprotesteerd dit alsnog te doen. De film wordt waarschijnlijk in april 2011 uitgebracht. Samen met Rajan Zed en anderen kunnen wij er nog voor zorgen dat er in deze film geen reclame gemaakt wordt voor stierenleed. Hiermee kunnen we ook voorkomen dat nóg meer toeristen naar Pamplona afreizen om deel te nemen aan dit wrede feest, waarbij de stieren na de rennen worden afgeslacht in de arena.

Hieronder vindt u het persbericht van Hindu-leider Rajan Zed:

Rajan Zed

Bollywood blockbuster Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara asked to remove cruelty to bulls scenes
 
31 October 2010 - Religious statesman Rajan Zed has urged the makers of upcoming Bollywood blockbuster Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara to not lionize cruelty to bulls.
 
According to reports, some scenes were shot in Pamplona (Spain) during Running of the Bulls for being included in this film. Cruelty to helpless animals should not be glorified in a mainstream feature film like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara meant for viewing by families, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, said.
 
Rajan Zed asked makers of this film to remove scenes depicting Running of the Bulls in its final version as torturing of bulls and making them suffer just for the entertainment of humans was not acceptable.
 
Reports suggest that Pamplona festival (July 7-14) hosts the most famous Running of the Bulls whose purpose is to transport the bulls from corrals to the bullring where they would be later killed. Panicked running bulls are poked and taunted resulting in lacerations and broken bones. Then men on horses pierce the bulls with banderillas until they become dizzy suffering huge pain. About 200-300 people are hurt each year during the Run and since 1910, 15 people have died.
 
Zed has labeled practices of bull running and bullfighting as barbaric, inhumane, horrendous, and cruel. "Non-violence is a greatest virtue. We have long been out of the caves. Let us get rid of these outdated traditions. World will be a better place without these blood sports", Zed adds.

Meanwhile, Spanish-American actress Charo, 69, reportedly in a letter to film’s director Zoya Akhtar, has also called for pulling Running of the Bulls scene from the film. "Deriving any pleasure from abusing bulls is something we should all be ashamed of and certainly nothing that should be promoted in a feature film", she wrote.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, a drama film directed by Zoya Akhtar (Lucky by Chance) and produced by Sunitha Ram-Farhan Akhtar-Ritesh Sidhwani, stars Hrithik Roshan, Katrina Kaif, Abhay Deol, Farhan Akhtar, Kalki Koechlin and Naseeruddin Shah. Proposed to be released in April 2011, this Excel Entertainment (Dil Chahta Hai) movie has Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s music, Carlos Catalán’s cinematography, Javed Akhtar’s lyrics, and was shot in Spain (Barcelona, Pamplona, Bunyol, and Andalucia) and India (Mumbai).

Officiële website van Hindu-leider Rajan Zed: http://rajanzed.net/rajan/index.php.