Bollywood stars are campaigning to stop the use of elephants in Indian films, arguing that life-size robotic replicas and artificial intelligence-generated images do the job cruelty-free.
Leading directors, producers, and actors have backed a campaign by animal rights organization PETA India this month, which emphasized that the proliferation of high-quality AI-generated images further reduces the need to use real animals.
«"Elephants should not suffer for our entertainment," said renowned actor and producer John Abraham, explaining why he and more than two dozen celebrities are supporting the campaign.
«"Thanks to modern technology, we can beautifully bring elephants to life using computer graphics and mechanical art, without resorting to captivity and cruelty.".
According to the World Wildlife Fund, there are fewer than 50,000 Asian elephants in the wild, most of which live in India and the rest in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia.
According to the Ministry of Environment, there are over 2,600 captive elephants in India. They are used for tourism, entertainment, and temples.
PETA officials told AFP that elephants kept in captivity are "separated from their families, kept chained almost constantly, and controlled with guns.".
The Indian Animal Welfare Board must give permission for the use of elephants in films.
The number of real elephants used has been sharply reduced since a 2021 order said it was "appropriate" to prioritize special effects or animatronics "to prevent unnecessary pain and suffering to animals.".
— "Live freely" —
Now PETA activists are pointing out how AI-generated images showcased in a social media campaign this month are becoming increasingly realistic.
«"Elephants are highly intelligent, emotional animals that require freedom in lush jungle environments for their mental and physical well-being," the document says.
«"In contrast, elephants used in films and TV shows face extreme loneliness and cruelty.".
Activists point to Richie Mehta's use of CGI in the 2024 series "Poacher," a Malayalam-language crime drama about ivory smuggling, as well as a robotic elephant with flapping ears used in a dance number for clothing company Ramraj Cotton.
Other notable hits that used CGI to create elephants include the 2020 historical action film Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior and the 2006 superhero film Krrish.
This contrasts with the past, when films such as the 1971 hit "Haathi Mere Saathi" used real elephants, as well as tigers and lions, in dance scenes.
Last month, the Malayalam film "Kattalan," about ivory-smuggling gangsters, featured real elephants, producers told Indian media.
— Sympathy —
PETA has long advocated for an end to the use of elephants in Hindu temple ceremonies, where the animals are paraded through crowds amid flashing lights, pounding drums, and blaring music.
The company has donated more than 25 life-size robotic elephants made of fiberglass and rubber to temples across India.
These models are equipped with motors, which allow them to flap their ears, move their tails, and even spray water from their rubber trunks.
In May, PETA and Shriya Saran, one of the stars of the 2022 hit "RRR," which won an Oscar for Best Original Song, donated one such monument to a Hindu temple in Kanpur, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
Many followers of the elephant-headed Hindu deity Ganesha consider these animals sacred, and they traditionally play an important role in ceremonies.
Saran said the mechanical version "will allow the temple to continue centuries-old traditions while ensuring elephants, the earthly representatives of Lord Ganesha, can thrive in their natural habitat.".
The list of more than two dozen Bollywood stars also includes Richa Chadha, Farah Khan and Dia Mirza.
«"Good cinema requires empathy," said actress Pooja Bhatt. "We can tell great stories on screen without exploiting animals.".
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