Shetty defends Gere over controversial clinch
Bollywood icon Shilpa Shetty has moved to defend the actions of Richard Gere as the controversy surrounding their public embrace shows little sign of dying down. Gere outraged conservative factions in India when he kissed Shetty at an Aids awareness rally in New Delhi last weekend. In the aftermath of the clinch, effigies of the Hollywood actor were burned during protests in Mumbai.
Yesterday Shetty explained that the distinctive pose that Gere struck during their clinch was merely a homage to his role in the romantic comedy Shall We Dance. "What he did was very sweet," she said. "It was all in good humour... He especially told me to tell the media that he didn't want to hurt any Indian sensibilities."
However, Shetty admitted that she had been as surprised as anyone by the public display of affection. "I was very taken aback," she added.
Shetty now faces possible legal consequences in her homeland, after three lawyers filed complaints over what they claimed to be an "obscene act". The Bollywood star, alongside two television stations, also faces charges over the airing of the footage from the event, after legal papers were filed in the town of Ghaziabad. However, many legal experts doubt these charges will ever come to court. Yesterday the Associated Press reported that such criminal filings "are common in conservative India. They add to a backlog of legal cases in the country that has nearly crippled the judicial system."
In the meantime, Shetty is looking on the bright side. "I am happy this has happened," she insisted. "Because at least now people will talk about the issue of Aids and HIV."