Dogs are definitely man’s best friend and when they are around you have very little stress. Rajan Shahi’s hit show Anupamaa’s set is one such positive place and the furry friends are the main reason. Interestingly most of the cast Rupali Ganguly, Sudhanshu Pandey, Madalsa Sharma Chakraborty, Alpana Buch, Paras Kalnawat and Aashish Mehrotra are animal lovers. So what happens during the breaks? Rupali says,”Unless and until we don’t need to respond to nature’s calls, we don’t go back to our rooms. You will find us chatting and singing sometimes, or chatting in the passage. Paras and I also dance sometimes. Or else we are playing with our dogs on the set. The whole Anupamaa gang is unstoppable. It’s just like Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai, the reason of our on-screen chemistry is so loved because the love we share off camera. In both the shows, the offscreen relationship of the cast is very emotional and real.”

Speaking about the dogs on the set of Anupamaa Rupali says,”Our producer Rajan Shahi is taking care of the dogs so nicely, it is very gratifying. There are many stray dogs on the set and I have named them all. Gabbar is the leader of the gang and then there is Lambuji, Chocolate, Rimjhim, Gulabjamun, Adha, Biscuit, Puchki, Badam, Diana and Babe (the youngest). Now Rimjhim is pregnant so we all are very happy and excited to take care of her. The biggest stress busters are our furry friends who give us unconditional love. I find it heavenly when I am around them.”   Madalsa and Sudhanshu also have pets at home and it just makes the whole atmosphere so much better.

Actress Tejaswini Pandit is paying homage to the Corona Warriors in this year’s Navratri through an illustration photo series. On the fifth day of the ongoing photo series to pay tribute to corona-warriors from nine different fields in nine days, she has given a social message of showing mercy to animals.

In this photo, Tejaswini Pandit pays homage to the ‘divine’ deeds of animal lovers who love to feed stray animals. Tejaswini Pandit says, “Bhootdaya Paramo Dharma: This teaching we are forgetting somewhere today. There was a rumour that corona was spreading through animals.At that time, many people had abandoned their pets, throwing them out of the house without verifying the truth of this rumour.

A sudden lockdown caused famine to many street animals and birds as no food was available on streets. Then the animal friendly people came to their rescue. And gave a helping hand to these souls. With this illustration photo, I salute the animal lovers who came out of the house without fearing for their lives during the Corona period.

Tejaswini further says, “A person can express that he is having some trouble. But these poor dumb animals can’t tell us their pain. Just because they can’t speak doesn’t mean they don’t have emotions.  It is unfortunate that we do not give any importance to animals. The government does not have much support for animal lovers and animal welfare organizations. The sudden closure of the animal shelter homes brought many sick-old animals to the streets unattended.  All this was simmering in my mind somewhere.  And that’s what I have tried to do in this photo.”