Bollywood Star Mercilessly Trolled For Thinking ‘Animal Farm’ is About Caring For Animals
By Khier Casino
Shilpa Shetty Kundra has been ridiculed on Twitter for suggesting that schoolchildren should read George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” to learn to take care of animals.
The 41-year-old Bollywood star, who thought the book was about animal welfare, uploaded a photo on Instagram, saying that she doesn’t need to explain herself to anyone.
“So mom says when you are a Celebrity ‘Never complain and Never Explain.’ Love must be unconditional.. Mine stays,” she wrote.
The star has since taken to Twitter to say it was all a misunderstanding, and while she admires Orwell, she has never read “Animal Farm.”
Shetty’s clarification came after she commented in an article about a new English literature syllabus from the Council of School Certificate Examination for junior and middle school students, starting from 2017-2018, according to The Hindu.
In addition to the classic Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling, Shetty believes it is important to cultivate the imagination of children.
“I think having books like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter as part of the syllabus is a great move because it cultivates imagination and creativity at a young age. I think books like Little Women would also encourage respect towards women at a young age,” she said. “Even ‘Animal Farm’ should be included as it will teach the little ones to love and care for animals.”
The allegorical and dystopian short novel by Orwell satirized the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin’s gulag system that left millions dead. It’s not exactly the best reading material for circle time in preschool.
People caught wind of her comments, and the hashtag #ShilpaShettyReviews began trending on Twitter with users tweeting about other books.
In 2007, she reportedly sparked fury with racist taunts on “Big Brother”, a reality TV show named after the fictional character in Orwell’s other novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four.”
Image via Flickr / Matt Grommes
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