Sanjay Dutt's Mumbai restaurant faces backlash over live fish cocktail controversy

Sanjay Dutt’s Mumbai restaurant has been under the spotlight following a video that went viral showing a live fish being used in a cocktail glass. Initially, the luxury restro-bar Alta Stella was making waves following its celestial theme. However, the controversy has quickly replaced the initial popularity of the restaurant with many accusing the restaurant of promoting animal cruelty in the name of creativity.

Sanjay Dutt's Mumbai restaurant sparks ethical debate over viral video

Sanjay Dutt’s Mumbai restaurant, which was opened in collaboration with entrepreneur Abhimanyu Jakhar, has been trending online for its zodiac-inspired design. However, the photos and videos that were posted online told a different tale. The videos showed a live fish being kept inside a cocktail glass as part of a ‘zodiac concept.’

In a video, the cocktail was reportedly set on fire with the fish still inside, which is a very ethically questionable practice. The critics were quick to point out that taking the fish out of the water, even for a short time, could cause extreme stress on the fish.

The viral post read, “This is not a theme. This is cruelty. This is not creativity. This is cruelty made Instagrammable. A Mumbai bar, @altastellamumbai, has started placing live fish in glasses on dining tables as part of a zodiac concept. When fish are taken out of water, they don't just "die quickly." They can suffer for up to 24 minutes, slowly suffocating. Where are we headed? Why are we letting people normalise this? Normalising their exploitation as entertainment is a dangerous step backwards.”

The backlash against Sanjay Dutt's Mumbai restaurant continued to gain momentum as people started pouring in criticism on social media. People started questioning the ethics of using live animals for decoration. One user wrote, “Cheap tricks to gain customers... Why don't y'all put yourselves into fish tanks and swim around for your customers... They will pay a lot more to watch that."

Another person said, “I bet after this reel lot of ppl must have visited the restaurant just to see this . Why not use legal ways to complain than doing things on social media.” Another Instagram user said, “We have forgotten what it truly means to live on earth and respect every creature that makes mother earth.”

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