Fearless PETA Supporters Take the Edinburgh Fringe by Storm

Indian stars Poorna Jagannathan and Sapna Bhavnani are two women to be reckoned with. The renowned actor and celebrity hairstylist have both demonstrated their unerring instinct for justice in the past by starring in eye-catching ads for PETA India that slam animal testing and advocate vegetarianism. Now they’re making waves at the Edinburgh Festival with a hard-hitting new play that addresses sexual harassment in India.

Nirbhaya (the Hindi word for “fearless”) is a play inspired by the horrific gang-rape of a student on a bus inDelhi last year. It’s been receiving rave reviews for its honest and unflinching depiction of the sexual violence faced by many women in India.

Poorna’s and Sapna’s involvement in this project highlights the intersection between social justice and animal rights. Compassion is an overarching principle that underlies both issues, whereas violence, whether perpetrated against people or animals, stems from a fundamental lack of respect for others. After all, there’s strong evidence to suggest that people who abuse animals frequently go on to hurt humans, too.

“Never Be Silent” is a message that holds true for all shades of cruelty and abuse, no matter who the victim is – so thank you to these two courageous and talented women for speaking out against violence and taking a stand for compassion.

If you’re heading up to Edinburgh this month, check out their show, which will run at the Assembly Hall until August 26.