PETA India has named Bollywood actress Dia Mirza as its Person of the Year for 2023, in recognition of her passionate advocacy for animal protection. Mirza’s notable efforts include her dedicated stance against the use of animals in circuses, her strong campaign opposing the exploitation of wild animals for their skins, and her consistent support for the adoption of homeless animals.
One of Mirza’s significant contributions this year was providing the voice for Ellie, PETA India’s lifelike animatronic elephant. Ellie travels to schools nationwide, engaging with over 40,000 students in nearly 200 workshops, imparting lessons on kindness, empathy, and the importance of not supporting circuses or other venues that exploit elephants for entertainment. Mirza also endorsed PETA India’s petition calling for a ban on the use of all animals in circuses.
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In addition to her advocacy for elephants, Mirza has been actively involved in PETA India’s campaigns to end the killing of reptiles and other wild animals for their skins. She posed as a snake in a striking appeal and appeared in a video urging viewers to pledge never to buy exotic-animal skins. Mirza’s production house, Born Free Entertainment, was honored with a Hero to Animals Award by PETA India for its depiction of the rescue of a homeless dog in the film Love Breakups Zindagi.
Mirza’s commitment to animal welfare goes beyond specific campaigns, as evidenced by her recent contribution as the foreword writer for PETA India director Poorva Joshipura’s new book, Survival at Stake: How Our Treatment of Animals Is Key to Human Existence. The book explores the direct links between the crises affecting humanity today—such as pandemics, epidemics, antibiotic resistance, climate change, and pollution—and our treatment of animals. Mirza emphasizes actionable steps that individuals can take to address these interconnected challenges.
Notably, Dia Mirza follows in the footsteps of other prominent figures who have received PETA India’s Person of the Year Award, including former Supreme Court Justice KS Panicker Radhakrishnan, cricketer Virat Kohli, and actors like Alia Bhatt, John Abraham, and Sonam Kapoor Ahuja. Mirza’s consistent use of her celebrity status to promote empathy for all species, ranging from dogs to elephants and crocodiles, reflects her unwavering dedication to animal rights and welfare.