Bollywood actors Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor tied the knot on Thursday, leaving all in a frenzy online. And as the power couple’s dreamy photos in white Sabyasachi ensembles continue to trend online, two white horses too have caught netizens’ attention. In case you’re wondering why, the four-legged couple has been named after the two Bollywood stars.
Yes, in honour of the Brahmāstra actors who celebrate their new beginning, the animal rescue organisation Animal Rahat decided to name a mare Alia and a stallion Ranbir, both of who were abused for years and rescued later.
Explaining the reason behind the initiative, Chief Operating Officer of the Maharashtra-based NGO, Dr Naresh Upreti said it was a way to celebrate not only the Bollywood stars’ wedding but their love for animals. “We loved how they opted to have no horse at the wedding. So, it was our way of creating awareness as well that if stars of such stature can go horse-free, others too can follow it,” Upreti told indianexpress.com over telephone.
To celebrate the Bollywood actors’ horse-free wedding the animal rescue organisation named the pair after the stars.
“Even though there are nearly 100 animals in our shelter and plenty of them are horses, it was quite amazing to see these two always sticking together. They are quite inseparable. So, to even celebrate their bond, we thought it was quite fitting to name them Alia and Ranbir,” Upreti added.
Talking about the horses who have become overnight internet sensations, Upreti revealed that they may seem happy now but such was not the case when they had rescued the animals. While the stallion was rescued two years ago from Mumbai’s Gateway of India where it was used to pull Victoria carriages, the mare was rescued in 2021.
“Actually, for the horse named Alia, she has a bad connection with weddings being used as a ceremonial horse for many years. She had wounds in her mouth and leg from all her participation in the weddings. Also was quite malnourished and anaemic when we brought her to the shelter,” Upreti explained.
Although the two horses were rescued at different times, they are now inseparable. (Source: Animal Rahat)
Arguing that while it may be fun for people in wedding ceremonies to burst firecrackers and dance to loud music in front of animals, he said it’s pretty painful and traumatising for the animals who are quite sensitive to the noise.
“People may know that horses get spooked easily, but not many may be aware that in order to keep such ceremonial horses calm at weddings, spike rings are placed in their mouths. They often get blisters and cuts because of it and may not be able to eat for days,” he explained.
However, he is happy that the two horses along with several others have been rescued and are enjoying their time being themselves. While many users on the internet interpreted the photos of the horses wearing garlands to be that of their wedding, Upreti explained that’s not the case.
The mare named Alia used to be a ceremonial horse before it was rescued. (Source: Animal Rahat)
“Well, we celebrate all festivals with the animal residents staying with us and it’s probably during Diwali last year when the duo was wearing garlands which were actually their treats. They love eating the flowers, so after the celebrations, they had a good time devouring them,” he added.
As the buzz on social media is mostly around the animals being named after the actors, Upreti hopes beyond the short-lived fame, it can start a conversation and inspire more people to not use animals as props during weddings. “Weddings are a time for happiness, so it doesn’t feel right that the happiness of humans are coming at the expense of innocent animals,” he concluded.
