The visuals of actor Ranveer Singh taking a dive in the ocean and beating up a shark in a Rupa Frontline advertisement have got the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) up in arms.
PETA plans to take the matter forward by writing to the actor and the brand.
"PETA will be writing to Rupa Frontline and Ranveer Singh to share our concerns on behalf of sharks and today's socially aware youth," said Poorva Joshipura, PETA India CEO, in a statement.
In the advertisement, the "Gunday" actor can be seen trying to impress a girl and diving into the ocean to save her from a shark. He is later seen thrashing the shark.
The animal rights organisation also condemned the gesture of using an animal to woo someone.
"By recruiting Ranveer Singh, Rupa Frontline is desperately trying to attract youth, but nothing shows how utterly out of touch with youngsters the company actually is than its depiction of cruelty to animals in its advertisement. There is nothing sexy about pretending to beat up an animal, and nothing that may disgust a girl more.
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"The 'ruthless killers' in the human-shark relationship are actually the humans. Recent studies indicate that up to 73 million sharks are killed each year, mainly for their fins, which are put in soups and eaten mostly in Asia. India is the second largest shark fishing nation in the world," Joshipura added.
This is not the first time Ranveer has courted controversy. The actor's recent brush with an issue was when he took part in the controversial "AIB Roast".