People eat vegetarian food, but buy leather bags. That’s like carrying a dead animal – Beyond Bollywood

The 90s actor, who doesn’t eat meat, has stopped buying leather bags and switched to cloth, recycled bags.

By Mayur Lookhar

Experienced actor Raveena Tandon isn’t afraid to speak her mind. She has lent her weight behind an animal conservation cause. Tandon has been chosen to endorse the Anvayins Kaziranga Ultra Run 2023 that is aimed at creating awareness on saving the rhinos of Assam.  Tandon held a press conference yesterday [21 December] to spread the Run for Rhino campaign.

Towards the end of the conference, Tandon was reminded on the consumption of leather products, especially expensive leather bags which many celebrities’ carry.  

Commenting on it, Tandon said, “You can’t become an extremist. Personally, I have stopped using leather bags. I only carry the old ones. Now I have shifted to cloth bags, recycled bags, Once I googled how calf skin bags are made, I stopped buying them.”

The Aranyak [2022] actress admitted to being a little extreme in her animal conservation measures. She did though point a certain hypocrisy.

“I’m a little extreme. I don’t even eat meat. There are people who eat vegetarian [food], but will go and buy leather bags. That’s like carrying a dead animal,” said Tandon,

The actor though had a word of caution.

She says, “Different people have different thinking. You can’t become a policeman for all. It depends upon on how you feel within. Veg or on-vegetarian that cannot be forced. Everyone has a free choice to do what they want, and how they want. One doesn’t need to resort to extremism. All you need is to do simply think about saving the planet.”

Animal conservation can be a tricky cause to take up as the moral high ground social media is often quick to point out any hypocrisy. Poor Anushka Sharma and her cricketer husband Virat Kohli have drawn flak by extremist trolls. Seasoned actor Kajol and Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma were trolled mercilessly after it emerged that they eat beef, which is deemed immoral by Hindu hardliners. With Tandon not eating meat and switching to cloth/recycled bags, hopefully she won’t be targeted by trolls.

Watch Tandon speaking at the press conference below.