Veganism has surged in popularity worldwide in recent years, and India, where vegetarianism is already deeply rooted, is no exception. Today, an estimated nine percent of the population identifies as vegan. Many Bollywood stars are embracing the lifestyle as well, and here we’ve rounded up some of the most famous vegans in Hindi cinema.
Vegan in India
Vegetarianism is especially common in Bollywood, which is unsurprising given that 38 percent of India’s population identifies as vegetarian, the highest percentage in the world, according to The Times of India. Nearly 80 percent of Indians practice Hinduism, a religion that often encourages vegetarianism and reveres cows as sacred. The tradition is also central to Jainism, which counts around four million followers in India.
Veganism isn’t as common as vegetarianism in India, but it is growing in popularity. Plus, research suggests the flexitarian approach to diet—where people avoid animal products completely for a few days of the week—is also increasingly popular.
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In response to this growth, in 2022, India’s Food Safety and Standards Authority released a new definition of vegan food, accompanying regulations, and a logo for plant-based food items. This followed the launch of several new meat- and dairy-free products in the country.
Bollywood stars who follow a vegan diet
Guided by the rising demand and awareness of the plant-based lifestyle in India and around the world, in the last few years, a few of India’s most famous Bollywood stars have decided to make the leap to veganism and ditch animal products for good. Here are the stars who advocate for an ethical, sustainable plant-based lifestyle.
Richa Chadha
1 Richa Chadha
Actor, producer, and political activist Richa Chadha is passionate about meat-free living. The Bollywood star used to be a vegetarian before she eventually decided to switch to vegan after “getting sick” of dairy. “We are human beings—we are not meant to consume milk from another mammal,” she told Vegan First. “We are not built to digest something that’s so heavy on the body.”
Imagine Meats
2 & 3 Riteish & Genelia Deshmukh
Actors Riteish & Genelia Deshmukh decided to go vegan after their son, Riaan, asked them how they could still eat chicken if they loved their dog. Since then, they have both spoken out about the significant health benefits of the lifestyle and have even launched their own plant-based meat line, Imagine Meat (which has even partnered with Starbucks).
“It’s not a new thing. We have always practiced it. People search for vegan food without realizing it’s in their house, in their kitchen already,” Genelia told Zee Zest in 2022. “For every person who wants to give up meat, there are brands that are offering that kind of texture, smell, and taste they are concerned about missing.”
Alia Bhatt
4 Alia Bhatt
Actor Alia Bhatt is passionate about the environment and animal welfare. She even has her own sustainability-focused platform, called Coexist, which is dedicated to raising awareness of animal welfare, ethical consumption, and environmental preservation.
“I always wanted to do something good, being in the position where I am today,” she told DNA India in 2018. “I feel passionately about animals. Having said that, we also need to be protective of our country, world, and space. If we only take care of our own place and don’t worry about the world, then it’s a selfish way to lead our lives. My main aim is to create as much awareness as I can.”
PETA
5 Jacqueline Fernandez
Actor and model Jacqueline Fernandez often promotes organic vegan food and has also worked with PETA on a number of occasions. In 2021, for example, she joined the organization to advocate for angora-free fashion. “No scarf or sweater is worth tormenting or killing a gentle rabbit,” she said. Back in 2018, she also won PETA’s first Digital Activism Award, and in 2014, she was named PETA India’s Woman of the Year. In 2024, she attended Vegan Conference India and shared a vlog of her experience on her YouTube account.
Esha Gupta
6 Esha Gupta
Actor Esha Gupta has also worked with PETA in the past and has spoken out about her plant-based lifestyle on social media. In 2021, for example, she posted two photos of herself, one of her buying fresh fruit and the other of her eating a burger, with the caption: “What people think vegans eat vs. what we actually eat.” She added: “A plant-based diet is a healthier, more [environmentally] conscious glowing skin diet.” In 2022, she told Gulf News: “I’m on a gluten-free vegan diet. My body reacts well to it. That’s the only thing I follow.”
Sonakshi Sinha
7 Sonakshi Sinha
Actor and former costume designer Sonakshi Sinjha, who went vegan for the animals, is an advocate for cruelty-free fashion. She appeared in a previous campaign for PETA, encouraging people to boycott the leather industry. “Cows and buffaloes are intelligent, emotional animals who mourn the loss of and separation from loved ones, so I choose vegan leather and other compassionate materials when I shop,” she said.
Mallika Sherawat
8 Mallika Sherawat
Actor Mallika Sherawat, who decided to leave Bollywood for the US, made the switch to veganism more than a decade ago. Before that, she had spent most of her life as a vegetarian. In 2024, she joined the Veganuary campaign as an ambassador. “Eating plant-based is my secret to being fit, active, and having a clear conscience,” she said.
Wikimedia Commons
9 Aamir Khan
According to Viva!, actor and filmmaker Aamir Khan adopted a vegan lifestyle in 2015 after his wife introduced him to a video on the health benefits of plant-based eating. He later said, “I got to know that vegan is a healthy diet. I’d say all of you should follow a vegan diet.”
Anushka Sharma
10 Anushka Sharma
Actor Anushka Sharma and her cricketer husband Virat Kohli both follow a plant-based lifestyle, and in 2022, they invested in the vegan meat brand Blue Tribe. “The collaboration with Blue Tribe is a step to tell people how they can be more conscious and leave less impact on the planet by switching to a plant-based diet,” Sharma said in a statement at the time. More recently, in 2025, celebrity chef Harsh Dixit revealed that he prepared a vegan, gluten-free Vietnamese meal for the couple’s 2019 wedding anniversary. He even crafted a playful plant-based “snake” out of gourd, explaining to The Hollywood Reporter India, “Vietnamese cuisine includes a lot of snake—snake wine, even snake meat. So, how about serving ‘snakes’ to vegans? The idea was to have fun while staying within the dietary boundaries. That’s what being a private chef is about.”
Nikki Tamboli
11 Nikki Tamboli
During Eid 2025, actor Nikki Tamboli announced on Instagram that she had chosen to go vegan. Sharing an image that read “Go Vegan,” she wrote: “Vegan is not a diet. It is a choice your heart makes. Because I’m being the change I wish to see in this world.” In a later statement, she added: “For quite some time, I had been contemplating this decision, and finally, my inner calling prompted me to take this step. I have realized that no animal needs to die in order for me to live.”
This post was originally published on VegNews.com.