Actresses Charged with Animal Cruelty or Related Offences

Cases involving animal cruelty or wildlife-protection laws can touch the film world, too, and a few well-known performers have faced charges connected to protected species and on-set practices. Legal outcomes vary widely—from acquittals to ongoing appeals—but the through-line is the intersection of entertainment work with laws intended to safeguard animals and wildlife.

Below is a focused look at actresses who have been charged in such matters. For context, each entry also notes key film or TV work—plots, casts, and crew—so you can place the legal headlines alongside what the performers are known for on screen.

Tabu

While filming ‘Hum Saath-Saath Hain’ in Rajasthan, Tabu was among the actors charged in the blackbuck case under provisions of India’s wildlife law read with unlawful-assembly counts; she was later acquitted by the trial court, and the Rajasthan government has since appealed those acquittals. ‘Hum Saath-Saath Hain’ is a Rajshri Productions family ensemble written and directed by Sooraj R. Barjatya, with a cast that includes Salman Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Sonali Bendre, Mohnish Bahl, Neelam, Alok Nath and Reema Lagoo, and music by Raamlaxman.

Away from the case, Tabu is widely associated with ‘Andhadhun’, a black-comedy thriller by director Sriram Raghavan about a pianist who pretends to be blind and stumbles into a crime scene; the film stars Ayushmann Khurrana and Radhika Apte alongside Tabu, with cinematography by K. U. Mohanan and songs by Amit Trivedi.

Sonali Bendre

Sonali Bendre was also charged in connection with the ‘Hum Saath-Saath Hain’ shoot and, like her co-stars, was acquitted by the trial court; the state has appealed that acquittal. The film itself—directed by Sooraj R. Barjatya for Rajshri Productions—follows a close-knit joint family navigating marriages and misunderstandings, with a large ensemble and Barjatya’s trademark focus on traditions and music-led storytelling.

Bendre is also known for ‘Sarfarosh’, an action thriller written, produced, and directed by John Matthew Matthan about an ACP tracking gun-running and terror networks; it co-stars Aamir Khan and Naseeruddin Shah, with songs by Jatin–Lalit and editing by Jethu Mundul.

Neelam Kothari

Neelam Kothari (now Neelam Kothari Soni) was among the co-accused from the ‘Hum Saath-Saath Hain’ shoot; she was acquitted at trial, and the Rajasthan government has filed an appeal against those acquittals. In the film, produced by Rajshri and directed by Sooraj R. Barjatya, Neelam appears as part of the multi-star cast built around a sprawling family narrative, with Rajan Kinagi behind the camera and Mukhtar Ahmed in the editing chair.

Earlier in her career, Neelam headlined several popular titles opposite Govinda, including ‘Love 86’—a romantic drama from director Esmayeel Shroff with music by Laxmikant–Pyarelal—and ‘Ilzaam’, a Shibu Mitra drama produced by Pahlaj Nihalani; she also starred in ‘Hatya’, a thriller directed by Kirti Kumar, with Bappi Lahiri’s score and a plot centered on a widower who shelters a deaf-mute child who has witnessed a murder.

Shruti Ulfat

Television actress Shruti Ulfat was arrested and booked under sections of the Wildlife Protection Act after a video surfaced of her posing with a protected cobra; reports noted the clip was linked to the shoot of ‘Naagarjuna – Ek Yoddha’, and she was later released on bail. ‘Naagarjuna – Ek Yoddha’ is a fantasy action series created by Yash A. Patnaik, featuring Anshuman Malhotra and Pearl V. Puri with Nikitin Dheer, and it spins a mythic plot around Naglok, the Naagmani, and a young hero caught between worlds.

Ulfat is also known for ‘Jamai Raja’, a mainstream TV drama that flips the traditional saas-bahu dynamic by centering the son-in-law’s efforts to restore peace in a business family; the series is led by Ravi Dubey with Nia Sharma and Achint Kaur, and mixes boardroom stakes with domestic tensions while showcasing an ensemble of recurring characters.

Srabanti Chatterjee

Bengali actress Srabanti Chatterjee was booked under India’s Wildlife Protection Act after photos circulated of her posing with a chained mongoose; authorities issued a notice in connection with the images and initiated proceedings under multiple sections of the Act. On screen, she’s known to wider audiences for ‘Shikari’, an India–Bangladesh action thriller directed by Joydip Mukherjee and Zakir Hossain Simanto, where she stars opposite Shakib Khan in a story about a disguised assassin and a high-stakes mission, backed by Jaaz Multimedia and Eskay Movies.

Her Bengali commercial run also includes ‘Bindaas’, a Rajiv Kumar Biswas action-drama from Shree Venkatesh Films that pairs her with Dev and Sayantika Banerjee; the film threads romance and family honor through a template of feuds and reconciliations, with songs by Savvy, Arindam Chatterjee, and Habib Wahid and background score by S. P. Venkatesh.

Share your thoughts on these cases—and how you think the industry should handle animal-related protocols on sets—in the comments.