April 16, 2007
Hyderabad

58 year old Hollywood actor Richard Gere who is in India to promote AIDS awareness attended a function in Delhi on Sunday (15 April) along with Shilpa Shetty. This program is about educating the truckers about the importance of safe sex. Gere announced in Hindi ‘Condom nahi. Sex nahi ’. Then he held the hand of Shilpa Shetty to hug her and kiss on the cheek. He did not stop after one kiss. He swooped on Shilpa Shetty and continued kissing her continuously as shell-shocked Shilpa Shetty could not get away from the shower of kisses. She gave a surprise expression.

This clip was played in all news channels repeatedly in the last 24 hours. The Indians who supported with fervor when Shilpa Shetty was racially abused in UK’s Big Brother contest seem to got offended by this act. Lots of protests were held in India on Monday and various protesters burnt the effigies of Richard Gere and Shilpa Shetty.

Shilpa Shetty arranged a press meet today and said that it was a casual kiss and Richard Gere expressed his affection in that way. She accused media of giving undue importance to this kiss episode than publicizing about the AIDS awareness aspect of the event. She also expressed her dissatisfaction about protesters burning effigies of Richard Gere as he has come to India with the noble intention of spreading AIDS awareness. We should stick to the Indian customs of respecting guests (Athidi Devobhava), she added. Does accepting 12 affectionate kisses in public in India becomes Indian custom too for Shilpa Shetty?

Richard Gere was in Hyderabad 23 October 2005 promote AIDS awareness through 'Heroes Project'. All stalwarts of South Indian cinema attended this function. Click here for the function details