New Delhi: Actress Jiah Khan is supporting what some might consider a slightly unusual cause - she wants a ban on glass-coated manja (string) used for kite flying to avoid hurting birds.

"Glass-coated manja (string) is a public health hazard and causes an excruciating death for birds. We're asking participants of kite flying competitions to immediately stop using it and to conduct their sport in a way that isn't deadly to humans and wildlife," Jiah said in a press statement.

Jiah will be seen in a People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) ad, dressed as a wounded bird wrapped in kite string. The tagline of the ad is "Cut the glass-coated manja (string), not birds' wings".

Ace photographer Farrokh Chothia shot the ad and its release coincides with the festival of Makar Sankranti, when kites are traditionally flown.

British born Jiah debuted in Bollywood with Ram Gopal Varma's controversial movie "Nishabd" opposite megastar Amitabh Bachchan. Recently, she shared screen space with Aamir Khan in the hit film "Ghajini".

Other celebrities who have been part of PETA campaigns are John Abraham, Gulshan Grover, Rahul Khanna, Yana Gupta, Rakhi Sawant and many more.