A leading newspaper asked Shetty for her views on the inclusion of characters from popular culture in a new reading syllabus for schoolchildren in India.
She replied: “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 thinks books like Little Women would also encourage respect towards women at a young age. "Even Animal Farm should be included as it will teach the little ones to love and care for animals.”
Animal Farm is probably one of the best known works of George Orwell. A novella based on a dystopian society and the Russian Revolution of 1917, it was a social commentary on the Stalinist era in Soviet Union. Basically, the plot is anything BUT loving and caring about animals. Shilpa Shetty thought otherwise and gave this statement in lieu of Harry Potter and other famous books being a part of the ICSE syllabus.
Her apparent suggestion that Animal Farm, Orwell's celebrated analogy of the Russian revolution, was chiefly concerned with animal welfare, led to a volley of comments making fun of her on Twitter, where #ShilpaShettyReviews became the top trending hashtag across India:
What do you guys think?
Thumbnail Image Source: bangalinews