Richard Gere sparked protests in India by repeatedly kissing Shilpa Shetty at a charity event.
The Hollywood star, 57, began with an innocent peck on her hand as they hosted an Aids rally in New Delhi.
But he then bent her over and repeatedly kissed her cheek as the Celebrity Big Brother winner spluttered: "This is a bit too much."
The scenes - shown repeatedly on TV - sparked mob demos across conservative India yesterday amid claims they insulted local culture.
Some protesters burned effigies of Richard while others torched posters of the Bollywood beauty and chanted: "Death to Shilpa Shetty."
A spokesman for the nationalist Bhartiya Janta party - involved in some demos - said: "Such a public display is not part of Indian tradition."
Shilpa later tried to dampen down the storm and said: "I understand this is his culture, not ours.
"But this was not such a big thing or so obscene for people to overreact in such a manner."
Aids activist Anjali Gopalan added: "He was playing to the gallery. I don't see anything bad."
The audience of truckers at the safe sex rally had cheered Richard and chanted in Hindi: "No condom, no sex."
But he then bent her over and repeatedly kissed her cheek as the Celebrity Big Brother winner spluttered: "This is a bit too much."
The scenes - shown repeatedly on TV - sparked mob demos across conservative India yesterday amid claims they insulted local culture.
Some protesters burned effigies of Richard while others torched posters of the Bollywood beauty and chanted: "Death to Shilpa Shetty."
A spokesman for the nationalist Bhartiya Janta party - involved in some demos - said: "Such a public display is not part of Indian tradition."
Shilpa later tried to dampen down the storm and said: "I understand this is his culture, not ours.
"But this was not such a big thing or so obscene for people to overreact in such a manner."
Aids activist Anjali Gopalan added: "He was playing to the gallery. I don't see anything bad."
The audience of truckers at the safe sex rally had cheered Richard and chanted in Hindi: "No condom, no sex."
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