Bollywood actor and entrepreneur Alia Bhatt was recently named 2021 Person of the Year by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India.
Confirming the same on its official website, PETA India wrote: "To celebrate her work in support of an animal-friendly fashion industry and her advocacy for dogs and cats in need, PETA India has named Bollywood star Alia Bhatt its 2021 Person of the Year."
In the year 2021, Bhatt launched the vegan kidswear brand, Ed-a-Mamma, and invested in another vegan brand called Phool known for making products by recycling flowers discarded by temples.
"This year, Bhatt invested in Phool, the company behind Fleather, a vegan leather made from discarded temple flowers. Her vegan kidswear line, Ed-a-Mamma, won the 2021 PETA India fashion award for helping to nurture kids’ love for animals and nature. She previously also starred in a pro-adoption PETA India campaign to help cats and dogs, and called for stronger animal protection laws," PETA India added.
Reacting to her recent achievement, Bhatt urged her fans to love animals even more than they love her.
"From urging her fans to adopt from shelters and never shop for dogs and cats to advocating vegan fashion and using the power of social media to call for stronger animal protection laws, @aliaa08 speaks for animals and is PETA India’s Person of the Year," PETA India said in a tweet.
"Alia Bhatt is not only helping to advance vegan fashion but also encouraging the next generation to be kind to animals. Alia does not hesitate to speak up, whether she is rallying her fans to adopt a dog or cat or calling for action on crimes against animals,” the organisation quoted its director of celebrity and public relations, Sachin Bangera.
The actor is known for her remarkable roles in movies such as Gully Boy, Raazi, Highway, and more. Some of her films to be released in 2022 include Brahmāstra, RRR, and Gangubai Kathiawadi. Alia is also all set to share the screen with Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra in Farhan Akhtar's Jee Le Zara, the much-awaited spin-off to blockbuster movies, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Dil Chahta Hai—both based on an all-boys road trip.
Apart from Bhatt, personalities such as Dr Shashi Tharoor, former Supreme Court Justice KS Panicker Radhakrishnan, cricketer Virat Kohli, comedian Kapil Sharma, and actors John Abraham, Anushka Sharma, Sunny Leone, R Madhavan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Hema Malini, and Sonam Kapoor Ahuja have also been honoured with PETA India’s Person of the Year Award in the past—for their respective contribution towards the well-being of animals.
Moreover, the organisation also recently named actors Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar as winners of PETA India's 2021 Most Beautiful Vegetarians awards.