Richard Gere may be a practicing Buddhist, spending much time spreading love with the Dalai Lama, but that doesn't apparently mean that he can spread other love without some problems.
Despite spending a lot of time in South-East Asia, the "Pretty Woman" actor has committed a serious no-no in India by showing affection with a female in front of the media.
While the Indian media has been up in arms over Gere's decision to get carried away with affection towards Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty, images of the event have been plastered over the nation's papers and on news networks for citizens to be offended by.
Why the outcry?
Because while at an AIDS awareness rally in New Delhi, the actor playfully kissed Shetty.
Protests quickly started and demonstrators in Mumbai began burning images of the Hollywood actor. And now they want an apology from Gere for his public display of affection since such acts are still taboo in the country.
However, Shetty, who won Britain's "Celebrity Big Brother" earlier this year despite racial slurs in her direction, is fearful that the reaction of her countrymen could give India a bad image.
Shetty told the Press Trust Of India, "It was not so obscene. This was not such a big thing for people to over-react in such a manner. I understand people's sentiments, but I don't want a foreigner to take bad memories from here. I understand this is his culture, not ours."
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