Down with Gere!

Posted Apr 16th 2007 11:28AM by TMZ Staff

Hindu nationalists are burning Richard Gere in effigy -- no, not because of "Shall We Dance," but because of his over-affectionate behavior toward a popular Bollywood actress.

Photographs hit front pages of newspapers in India today, showing Gere kissing Shilpa Shetty on the cheek at an AIDS awareness event in New Delhi -- where public displays of affection are taboo. In protest, members of the right-wing Hindu nationalist group, Shiv Sena, beat burning effigies of Gere with sticks and burned pictures of Shetty.

In the video, Gere can be seen kissing Shetty several times on the hand before hugging and kissing her on the cheek -- cheered on by fans the entire time. When Gere took to the mic, he led to the crowd in a "No condom, no sex" chant in Hindi.

Shetty came to the defense of Gere today, saying, "I understand that it might have looked like he went slightly overboard, but that was really not the intention. His intention was that of entertaining the people. "

Tags: richard gere, RichardGere, Shilpa Shetty, ShilpaShetty

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16. I don't no why.......but the SNL skit about the Schwetty Balls comes to mind........LOL

Posted at 2:03PM on Apr 16th 2007 by Kat

17. And, I thought kissing in public was against the law there? What a old marooooooooooon!

Posted at 2:08PM on Apr 16th 2007 by Golatha

18. It is clear from these comments that the US and particularly Hollywood, needs to become less ethnocentric and more culturally sensitive. We often go blindly into other cultures with total disregard to what other countries hold sacred. President Clinton unknowingly used a backward "V" sign in Australia which was an obscene gesture. Pres. Bush threw up in front of his hosts in Japan. The CEO of a major corporation raised the veil and kissed a Middle Eastern Princess and lost a multi-million dollar deal.
Just as the Chinese are learning not to spit in public in preparation for the Olympics, maybe it's time for Americans to enroll in a protocol and etiquette course! Civility creates understanding and understanding prevents wars. Let's look at the bigger picture.

Posted at 3:09PM on Apr 16th 2007 by Protocol Professionals, Inc.

19. OF COURSE INDIANS GOING TO BE MAD. NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. PUBLIC AFFECTION IS NOT ALLOW, ITS DONE BEHIND THE CLOSE DOORS. IT IS AGAINST THE LAW TO DO PUBLIC AFFECTION. SO YEAH, THAT'S HOW INDIAN CULTURE IS AND ANYBODY SHOULD RESPECT THAT.

Posted at 3:17PM on Apr 16th 2007 by sweets

20. I love how everyone keeps saying 'their customs'... we should adhere to their customs because it's the right thing to do. But lets stop for a second and look at home now, America. How many people LIVE here and DO NOT speak ENGLISH!?!?!?!?!
You don't have to look outside our own back yard to see that people live as they live and they don't care to subscribe to protocol and ettiquete.

Although, maybe it's high time they did... don't you think?

Posted at 3:18PM on Apr 16th 2007 by Double standard???

21. Oh God !!!! What an embarrasment!!!! Why do Americans go oversees and make jackasses of themselves. If an Indian man forced that on an American woman here, I would bet you that more than effigies would be burning!!! You would hang him out to dry!!! THEY ARE EXERCISING THEIR FREEDOM TO EXPRESS.. America is not the only Democracy in the world!!!

Posted at 3:48PM on Apr 16th 2007 by Maverick

22. ALSO, America is already in everyone else's business with our foreign policy, plllease don't start dictating how others should live as well. What they do in their country is their business.

Posted at 3:52PM on Apr 16th 2007 by Maverick

23. my question is why in the hell did he kiss her not once but twice to begin with???

Posted at 8:09PM on Apr 16th 2007 by T~

24. that effigy dummy looks nothing like richard gere shilpa shetty

Posted at 4:18PM on Apr 16th 2007 by Sara

25. He knew what he was doing. I'm very frustrated with our citizens and government going into other countries and trying to change the ways they do things. It is not our business or our duty to model their cultures after our own; just because we think it is right does not mean it is. He was in their country therefore he should respect their beliefs and way of life. He owes the people of India an apology.

Posted at 4:24PM on Apr 16th 2007 by Carly

26. I think someone already said it best... this has nothing to do with God but man's outdated and pathetic attemptsto control each other. The saddest part is that God's greatest gift to man is FREEWILL and yet we have so many religions whose main goal is to take away God's gift to us.... by trying to enslave us to a bunch of ritualistic, non-sensical behavior. It is time to end the false prophesy and pretending.... that era is so over.

Posted at 4:30PM on Apr 16th 2007 by Salaa

27. Public affection is NOT against the law in India. You can kiss and will not get arrested, however, it is a cultural thing. If anything if police want to pursue this they can seek obscenity charges. Which they probably won't do. Second, this is really stupid, those protestors need to stop overshadowing the important AIDS event that was occurring.

Posted at 6:22PM on Apr 16th 2007 by manny

28. This was innappro[riate of Gere in that country but Bravo to him for not adhering to another countrys backward, stilted standards.

Posted at 4:40PM on Apr 16th 2007 by kathy

29. #18 Tellu l8rS
SORRY FOR MY MISTAKE, I AM NOT A LUNATIC, I AM SICK OVER THE FACT THAT THEY CAN MAIM KILL AND TORTURE THEIR WOMEN FOR SOMETHING LIKE WHAT GERE DID. THEY ARE SICK AND TWISTED FOLK. WHY DO YOU THINK AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL IS UP THEIR ASS TO QUIT THEIR BARBARIC WAYS. OPPS SORRY FOR THE OPPS I CREATED. YOU ARE PROLLY ONE OF THOSE CRAZY RAG HEADED BASTARDS WHO BEATS HIS SEVEN WIVES. YOU FIND IT ACCEPTABLE? YOU THINK AMERICA SHOULDNT TRY TO STOP THIS LUNACY?

Posted at 5:16PM on Apr 16th 2007 by Down with stupid people!

30. TELL IT TO SOMEONE WHO CARES! HE IS A HASBEEN ACTOR ANYWAY.

Posted at 5:03PM on Apr 16th 2007 by johnnie f.king

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