Shown walking in the clouds and holding a basket of flowers and fruit next to the tagline “Be an Angel … Go Vegetarian”, beautiful Bollywood star Mahima Chaudhary appears as a celestial being in a brand-new ad for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Mahima, who gained national recognition with her debut film Pardes with Subhash Ghai, has since appeared in Dil Kya Kare and starred alongside fellow vegetarian Amitabh Bachchan in Baaghban. She wants her legions of fans to know that they too can be “angels” by adopting a healthy and humane vegetarian diet.

“Being vegetarian, I feel better physically, but even more importantly, I feel better spiritually, knowing that I haven’t needlessly taken a life”, says Mahima. “Billions of animals are slaughtered for food worldwide, and I shudder to think how they are treated in factory farms. What better way to celebrate this festival season than by being an angel for animals and putting compassion on your plate.”

The captivating ad was shot by ace photographer Atul Kasbekar. Credit for Mahima’s stunning wings – made without feathers – and outfit goes to acclaimed designer Hemant Trevedi, who is also a conscientious vegetarian.

Over the course of a lifetime, the average British meat-eater is responsible for the abuse and death of more than 1,800 animals. Chickens, pigs and other animals raised on factory farms are treated like machines. To increase profits, farmers drug and genetically manipulate chickens, causing them to suffer painful, crippling bone disorders and spinal defects. Many animals are denied everything that is natural to them and never even breathe fresh air until they are crammed onto trucks destined for slaughter.

Mortality rates from heart disease amongst South Asians are around 40 per cent higher than the white population in the UK. Around 25 per cent of Indian adults in the UK suffer from type 2 diabetes. According to Dr T. Colin Campbell, nutritional researcher at Cornell University and director of the largest epidemiological study in history, “The vast majority of all cancers, cardiovascular diseases and other forms of degenerative illness can be prevented simply by adopting a plant-based diet”.

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