Shilpa & Gere KISS Controversy [merged topics]

[Cody™]

http://i.indiafm.com/img/news/07/apr/shilpa1.jpg

Now Gere’s something you don’t see everyday. Post Big Brother, Shilpa Shetty seems to have formed a celebrity fan-following of her own. Check out Hollywood star Richard Gere hugging and kissing our very own Bollywood starlet Shilpa Shetty.

The event held in Delhi on Sunday was a part of the ongoing Seena Taan Ke campaign organized by the Truckers Corporation of India Foundation. Gere and Shetty were present at the function to speak of unsafe sexual practices among the trucking community.

We guess that they were demonstrating that AIDS cannot spread by kissing or canoodling.

Apparently their conduct at the function did not go well amongst the Indian audience and the latter are demanding a public apology from both of them.

Sunny Deol was also present at the occasion where he encouraged truck-drivers for their work and asked them to adopt healthy sexual behaviour.

Indiafm.com

The kiss between Hollywood actor Richard Gere and Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty at an AIDS awareness function on Sunday has sparked a series of minor protests in Varanasi.

At a programme for truckdrivers in Delhi, Gere kissed Shilpa a number of times to prove that AIDS does not spread by kissing.



But this act has not gone down well with certain sections. Members of Shilpa Shetty Fan Club took to the streets to show their anger against Gere’s behavior. They burnt an effigy of the 58-year-old actor and demanded an apology from him.

According to a member of the club, Gere has “not only done disservice to the AIDS campaign but has also blemished the rich Indian culture” by repeatedly kissing Shilpa in front of a huge gathering.

On the other hand, Shiv Sena activists burnt Gere’s effigy and demanded that he should leave India immediately.

Activists of another Hindu organization, Vande Mataram Sangharsh Samiti, also protested against the Hollywood star, and mocked Shilpa for not protesting Gere’s behaviour.

Apunkachoice.com

[Mrluvaluva]

Images of Big Brother star Shilpa Shetty and the American actor Richard Gere have been burnt on the streets of India - after they kissed at an event to promote Aids awareness.

The Bollywood actress and the American star of films like Pretty Woman had teamed up in a campaign to encourage safe sex among lorry drivers in India.

The country has the world's largest number of people living with HIV.

"No condom, no sex," 58-year-old Gere shouted in Hindi to thousands of truckers in New Delhi.

They whooped with delight and whistled loudly as he swooped down on a visibly surprised Shetty to kiss her on her hand and a number of times on the side of her face.

But later, groups of men burnt effigies of the Hollywood star, shouting "Down with Richard Gere" and kicked the smoking remains in the cities of Kanpur, Meerut, Varanasi and Indore.

They said Gere's kissing was against Indian culture.

Some burnt Shetty's posters, shouting "Death to Shilpa Shetty", and danced around the smouldering ashes.

Some, however, said there was too much fuss over a few kisses.

"I think he responded as an actor. He was playing to the gallery," said one Aids campaigner. "I don't see anything bad."

Shetty's spokesman Dale Bhagwagar said: "The media should concentrate on promotion of the cause of Aids awareness rather than make 'issues' out of Richard Gere's kisses."

Indian truckers are considered a high-risk group, as many have sex with prostitutes during their journeys.

[GiRTh]

Dirty buggers

[SiMoN!]

she is a silly tart anyway


she will be makeing people pay soon

[GiRTh]

As big an over reaction as in CBB5?


Yahoo Report (http://uk.news.yahoo.com/pressass/20070416/ten-indian-crowds-burn-effigies-of-gere-5a7c575.html)

[Mrluvaluva]

Link don't work and there is already a thread all about all this G. I made that mistake too,

[GiRTh]

The link works fine. Now.

[Mrluvaluva]

Here's a pic. (not a very good one)

[nodisharmony]

A stupid over-reaction from very fanatical people.

Individual's who seem to think that burning effigies & demanding appologies is like a children stamping their feet when they can't get their own way.

I hope that they don't get their own way!!!!

If you give into a very tiny minority of people. (a handful of protestors) Probably also offending many Indian people anyway

If Richard Gere is kissing a woman, a celebrity, whatever. So What!!!

Why the outrage?

I am sure that Shilpa Shetty is also ashamed?
_________________________________________
Kissing is quite enjoyable and acceptable normally.

Is it bad for Shilpa to kiss Richard because of the race issue, or, is it because of "Kissing" in a public place, as it should be hidden away.

I don't understand the reason, do you?


nodisharmony :angel:

[eyeonu]

Originally posted by nodisharmony
A stupid over-reaction from very fanatical people.

Individual's who seem to think that burning effigies & demanding appologies is like a children stamping their feet when they can't get their own way.

I hope that they don't get their own way!!!!

If you give into a very tiny minority of people. (a handful of protestors) Probably also offending many Indian people anyway

If Richard Gere is kissing a woman, a celebrity, whatever. So What!!!

Why the outrage?

I am sure that Shilpa Shetty is also ashamed?
_________________________________________
Kissing is quite enjoyable and acceptable normally.

Is it bad for Shilpa to kiss Richard because of the race issue, or, is it because of "Kissing" in a public place, as it should be hidden away.

I don't understand the reason, do you?


nodisharmony :angel:

agreed

[Cody™]

i jus seen the full vid on the news and OMG its the worst over-reaction ive ever seen. he kissed her on the cheek! if it were a full fledged snog then i would understand the shock in india it wudve created but this was nothing! ppl need to get a life and stop making themselves look so stupid.

[nodisharmony]

Originally posted by eyeonu
Originally posted by nodisharmony
A stupid over-reaction from very fanatical people.

Individual's who seem to think that burning effigies & demanding appologies is like a children stamping their feet when they can't get their own way.

I hope that they don't get their own way!!!!

If you give into a very tiny minority of people. (a handful of protestors) Probably also offending many Indian people anyway

If Richard Gere is kissing a woman, a celebrity, whatever. So What!!!

Why the outrage?

I am sure that Shilpa Shetty is also ashamed?
_________________________________________
Kissing is quite enjoyable and acceptable normally.

Is it bad for Shilpa to kiss Richard because of the race issue, or, is it because of "Kissing" in a public place, as it should be hidden away.

I don't understand the reason, do you?


nodisharmony :angel:

agreed


I have the ITV news on and apparently, Richard Gere has now apologised.

The fanatical group are calling for the death of Shilpa Shetty & Richard Gere.

Nutters!!



nodisharmony :angel:

[Mrluvaluva]

You can view it at Sky News.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/video/videoplayer/0,,31200-shilpa_160407_0800,00.html

[Ella]

Oh my God!

So what? Is she not allowed to kiss a man?

People are so pathetic, leave her alone for goodness sake!.

[S2]

This is just stupid! It is not Shilpas' fault. Neither is it Geres. But yes he did kiss her and not the other way around, so if anyone should complain about anybody it should be of Geres' choice of event to launch into a kissathon.
Had Gere kissed Shilpa at any other event it woud not have been written so negatively, infact the journos would have had a field day reporting an "alleged" romance between the two.
Don't worry people, the biggest wedding in India is taking place tomorrow, this scandal should die down by then.




If Richard Gere is kissing a woman, a celebrity, whatever. So What!!!
Why the outrage?
I am sure that Shilpa Shetty is also ashamed?
Kissing is quite enjoyable and acceptable normally.
Is it bad for Shilpa to kiss Richard because of the race issue, or, is it because of "Kissing" in a public place, as it should be hidden away.
I don't understand the reason, do you?
Richard can kiss whoever he wants but just not in Bollywood, and to someone who is neither his gf, fiance or wife, that is pretty high scandal in BW.
Why should Shilpa be ashamed? She did naught wrong. Gere kissed her and when it looked like it wasn't ending after the first cheek kiss, you could see she had a startled look on her face and afterwards said "This was abit much"
PDA in India is a rarity.
Its not bad for Shilpa to kiss anyone and moreso because of the race issue. There are plenty of mix raced relationships in Bollywood

[Rory]

Wow!

It's even made it to radio over here on the USA. I heard it on my local radio station

[Psylocke]

LOL,Thats funny.GREAT PR for shilpa.

[Matt]

It's just a simple clash of cultures, nothing really to worry about.

[Freema]

i see poor shilpas defending herself again...

[Psylocke]

Friend of mine in India told me this is a really minor controversy.

[Matt]

It will be forgotten within a week.

[Psylocke]

Originally posted by iMatt
It will be forgotten within a week.
My friend told me all these controversy and storys are really propelling shilpas star :)

[Matt]

Originally posted by Psylocke
Originally posted by iMatt
It will be forgotten within a week.
My friend told me all these controversy and storys are really propelling shilpas star :)

That does not surprise me.

[nodisharmony]

Originally posted by Psylocke
LOL,Thats funny.GREAT PR for shilpa.

I am sure this is NOT a PR job for Shilpa Shetty.

This is just a small group of fanatics who find it offensive and wish to make a statement wishing and preaching that they should die for what they did.

If Richard Gere kisses Shilpa and she accepts it, even if it wasn't expected, then "so what".

Wishing either or both of them harm is a terrible thing.

Shilpa or Richard don't deserve this and it will make many people assume that this is commonplace in India, that if an Indian person kisses a white American or anybody else who is white in complection that it is wrong!

Nobody should ever condone this as it is wrong and even though it was a minor incident, it became headline news and billions will now think it is India's beliefs.

This is not a P.R stunt, Shilpa is successful right now and Richard is mega-rich also and very successful.


nodisharmony :angel: