MUMBAI (Reuters) - Asking the media "to end the circus," Hollywood star Richard Gere said Friday that his kissing of Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty was due to his failure to understand local culture. An Indian court, acting on a complaint by a local lawyer, described the kiss as an obscene act in public and ordered Gere's arrest. The kiss sparked sporadic protests in India. Gere twirled Shetty in his arms, arched her over and kissed her several times on the cheek at an event in New Delhi last week to promote AIDS awareness among Indian truckers. Gere has since left India. "My clumsy attempt at a 'Shall We Dance' dance move was a naive misread of Indian customs," Gere said in statement addressed to "my dear Indian friends" and issued by an AIDS charity he is associated with. "To be honest, this recent media storm has taken me by complete surprise. "End the circus around this episode," he said. The 57-year-old "Pretty Woman" star's posters and straw effigies were burned in protest in some parts of India, mostly by Hindu vigilante groups, who saw it as an outrage against Shetty's modesty and an affront to Indian culture. Shetty, the winner of the "Celebrity Big Brother" reality TV show in Britain this year, had said the kiss may have gone a "little overboard" but it was not obscene and the protests made India look regressive. Many commentators expressed unhappiness at what they said were fringe groups making a major issue out of a harmless peck on the cheek. Gere said it was not his intention to offend anybody and described the charity event as an evening of celebrating courageous people associated with the fight against HIV/AIDS in India, which has the world's highest HIV caseload. Although Gere, who also starred in "An Officer and a Gentleman," could face three months in jail or a fine or both for such an offence, he told a U.S. cable channel Thursday that he did not know anyone who had gone to jail for something like this. "Me kissing the girl on the cheek was nothing," Gere told cable channel Comedy Central's "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" in New York where he was promoting his latest film, "The Hoax." Gere, a devout Buddhist, visits India frequently to meet the Dalai Lama, who lives in exile in northern India, and is a vocal supporter of the Tibetan cause as well as being involved with charities dealing with AIDS and orphans in the country.
yes it is considered embarrassing, India kinda totally different cultural society altogether, beliefs of different people are different, and thats gonna follow. And it must be respected that way as it is.
It's their culture I guess. That's something we have to respect and take note when we are there. The society is still very conservative when it comes to this kind of issue.
They already are, they dont kiss or dry hump in the mall, like here in the USA..Gah, cant even go to the mall without seeing some girl lying on a guys lap.
Am not talking about culture. But what happened is certainly against the right of freedom. Let the ppl do whatever they want. I don't think that was such a shameful act. I hate moral policing. Its a free world.
I never understood the need for people to be overtly physically affectionate in public. I guess it is a half-hearted attempt at voyeurism.
Nice find lol I have heard that news a few days back ... I know most of the guys are just wondering if its a kiss or not. but its called kissing yes
One has to understand the culture of India..I am an Indian and i know this is not accepted in our culture
I am with IhateScam -- Although I am Indian and value Indian cultures --we are into 21st Century. Our Actors and actresses are no more running around the trees and Lip-tongue kissing is now common in many Bollywood films. Why? Society and human are an ever evolving species. Its an evolution --nothing else. If you are old enough ( I am not that old too--just 33) --just remember what was there 20 years back and what it is now! Films are reflection of the society --though they are fictitous. Few days back --I read a news item that Gujarat Govt. has stopped SEX education among adolescents in schools. What the HELL is going on? Its because of their ignorance that --these young kinds get phsically excited after attaining puberty and engage into well sexual............ If they are educated properly at the right time --and made aware of the dangers --lots of untowards incidences involving them could been avoided. tnx.