Raveena Tandon-Thadani – star of Mohra and a National Award winner for her role in the film Daman – appears in her sexiest role yet. A passionate animal activist, the Bollywood beauty jumped at the chance to slither into a slinky, snake-inspired dress designed by Karishma Trehan and encourage everyone to shed exotic skins from their wardrobe.
This is not the first time that Tandon-Thadani has posed for a PETA India ad, and she wants everyone to know that every bag,shoe or jacket made from snakeskin or alligator skin comes with a high price – a price that's paid by the animals who are torn away from their jungle homes and cruelly killed.
Pythons, lizards and other reptiles are commonly nailed to trees and skinned alive. After their skins are torn from their bodies, the animals' mutilated bodies are discarded, and it can take hours or even days for the animals to die. Exotic animals such as alligators are raised and killed on factory farms for their skins. Alligators are crammed into tiny, filthy structures that are filled with stagnant water. They are often beaten to death with hammers, and sometimes it can take up to two hours for them to die.
"Wearing shoes, clothes and other accessories made from exotic skin is about as cold-blooded as it gets", says Tandon-Thadani. "These days, there's a wild kingdom of designer fake snake, mock croc and python pleather that pays tribute to the beauty of these animals without making them fashion victims."
Tandon-Thadani is right! Nowadays, synthetic leather and other animal-friendly options are available at nearly all major shoe andclothing shops. Top designers – including Hemant Trevedi, Anita Dongre, Stella McCartney, Geetanjali Kashyap and RajeshPratap Singh – have opted to use humane materials instead of leather for their creations. So what are you waiting for? Follow Raveena Tandon-Thadani's advice by signing the pledge below, and "leave wildlife out of your wardrobe"
