‘Animal cruelty in this country is a systematic failure’; ‘Pariah’ director Tathagata Mukherjee reacts to the viral dog video - Exclusive!

Recently, a video went viral on the internet where a dog can be seen entering the stadium during an ongoing cricket match. Instead of handling the dog gently and safely and letting him out of the stadium, several people can be seen chasing and kicking the dog mercilessly. The video went viral on social media, with several actors from Tollywood reacting strongly to it. ‘Pariah’ director Tathagata Mukherjee spoke to ETimes and said, “Animal cruelty in this country is a systematic failure. We are a third-world country, and our literacy rate is going downhill. People around here don’t have the literacy to be compassionate toward animals. Unless the laws of the country become strict, there’s no hope. People are so comfortable chasing and kicking a dog because they know that their action won’t have any consequences.”

‘Pariah’ fame actor Vikram Chatterjee echoes a similar sentiment. Vikram tells ETimes, “This is a question of humanity, which I feel is becoming scarcer day by day. There have been incidents before where a dog has entered the stadium, and people have come forward to deal with the situation gently and safely without hurting the dog. I saw the video, and it’s quite evident that the poor fella is confused and scared to death. That’s why he is frantically running everywhere. It breaks my heart to see so many people behaving in a similar manner that lacks empathy.”

Tathagata and Vikram teamed up for a film called ‘Pariah’ that explores the plight of stray animals, especially street dogs. The film was released in early February and has been a huge success. Both the director and actor reveal that despite their attempt to spread awareness about stray animals, incidents like this come as a heartbreak. Actress Swastika Mukherjee, a well-known pet mom and animal lover, also took to social media to call out the incident.

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