Not many know Bollywood powerhouse actress Alia Bhatt had invested in Phool, the company behind Fleather, a vegan leather made from discarded temple flowers, this year.The ‘Highway’ actress had invested in the IIT Kanpur-backed startup, which uses flower cycling technology to upcycle cellulose waste and specialises in manufacturing charcoal-free incense and other wellness products. Interestingly, Phool was recently declaredPETA’s best innovation in the vegan world and now, Alia has been named 2021 PETA India’s ‘Person of the Year’.
The IIT Kanpur-based startup founded by Ankit Agarwal, regularly collects nearly 8.4 tonnes of floral-waste from temples in Uttar Pradesh. These flowers are handcrafted into charcoal-free incense, organic and biodegradable packaging material through the flower cycling technology.
To celebrate her work in support of an animal-friendly fashion industry and her advocacy for dogs and cats in need, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India has named Bollywood star Alia Bhatt its 2021 Person of the Year.
Her vegan kidswear line, Ed-a-Mamma, also won the 2021 PETA India fashion award for helping to nurture kids’ love for animals and nature. She also previously starred in a pro-adoption PETA India campaign to help cats and dogs and has used her platform to call for stronger animal protection laws.
“Alia Bhatt is not only helping to advance vegan fashion but also encouraging the next generation to be kind to animals,” says PETA India Director of Celebrity and Public Relations Sachin Bangera. “Alia doesn’t hesitate to speak up, whether she’s rallying her fans to adopt a dog or cat or calling for action on crimes against animals.”
Past recipients of PETA India’s Person of the Year Award include Dr Shashi Tharoor, for supporting Compassionate Citizen, PETA India’s humane education programme for children, as well as other education on animal protection; former Supreme Court Justice KS Panicker Radhakrishnan, for the landmark judgment against the use of bulls in performances; cricketer Virat Kohli, for calling for the release of an abused elephant and stronger penalties for animal abusers; comedian Kapil Sharma, for encouraging people to adopt dogs; and actors John Abraham, Anushka Sharma, Sunny Leone, R Madhavan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Hema Malini, and Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, for helping animals in various kind ways.
Recently, PETA India has named ‘Sooryavanshi’ actor Akshay Kumar and ‘Dolly Kitty Aur Woh Chamakte Sitare’ actor Bhumi Pednekar as Most Beautiful Vegetarian Celebrities of the year. Both the Bollywood actors will be seen together in their upcoming movie ‘Raksha Bandhan’.
