The Abdullapurmet police in Hyderabad have registered a first information report (FIR) against the entertainment company, Madras Talkies, over the alleged death of a horse while shooting for the Tamil feature film, Ponniyin Selvan. While the FIR was registered against the production firm on August 18 over the incident that reportedly took place on August 11, it came to light on Thursday, September 2. The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) now has called for an inquiry into the reported death based on complaints by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India.
The AWBI has written to the District Collector of Hyderabad and the Telangana State Animal Welfare Board, asking them to conduct an inquiry into the death of the horse, reportedly after it was involved in a head-on collision during the shooting of the movie. The Abdullapurmet police have registered an FIR against the management of Madras Talkies and the owner of the horse.
According to the FIR filed on August 18, the incident allegedly happened on August 11. It notes that the AWBI had given pre-shoot permission to the makers of the movie to use 80 horses in Ponniyin Selvan. The AWBI is the prescribed authority under The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, which authorises the use of animals in films. The horse owner is reported to have allowed the producers of the film to keep using horses that were tired and dehydrated.
The movie, Ponniyin Selvan, is being directed by Mani Ratnam. The incident reportedly took place at the shooting on private land near a film studio in Hyderabad. AWBI took action following a complaint based on whistle-blower reports of the incident. PETA India is also offering a reward of Rs 25,000 for a video or photograph of the incident in which the horse died, with hopes that it will help lead to the culprits’ arrests. The activists are requesting the public to share available information regarding this case to Info@petaindia.org.
"In the age of computer-generated imagery (CGI), production companies have no excuse for forcing exhausted horses to play at war until one of them drops dead," said PETA India Chief Advocacy Officer Khushboo Gupta. “Compassionate, forward-thinking filmmakers would never dream of hauling sensitive animals to a chaotic movie set and forcing them to 'act.' PETA India is calling upon director Mani Ratnam to cut the cruelty and switch to modern and humane CGI and other visual-effects technology," she explained.
The AWBI also asked officials to ensure that the culprits receive "exemplary punishment" so that such crimes do not happen in the future.
Madras Talkies has been booked under section 11 (promotes or takes part in any shooting match or competition where animals are released from captivity for the purpose of such shooting) of the PCA Act, 1960, and section 429 (commits mischief by killing, poisoning, maiming or rendering useless, any elephant, camel, horse, mule, buffalo, bull, cow or ox, whatever may be the value thereof, or any other animal) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).