Richard Gere up in flames in India

The Hoax star Richard Gere made a lot of enemies in India this weekend after he kissed a famous Indian actress in what has been called an "inappropriate" manner. Protests against the actor erupted in at least three Indian cities, complete with burning effigies of the Officer And A Gentleman heartbreaker and calls for punishment.

The hubbub came out of an HIV/AIDS awareness rally Sunday (April 15th), where Gere and Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty were encouraging truckers to use condoms if they picked up prostitutes. At some point during the event, Gere kissed Shetty several times on the cheeks and dipped her in an embrace. Pictures of the hug made the front page of several newspapers and that's when conservative groups took on the anti-Gere cause. Public displays of affection like his are a no-no in the religious nation.

Shetty said protesters "over reacted" to the situation, which overshadowed the message she and Gere were trying to spread.

Gere spends a lot of his free time in India working to help curb the spread of AIDS. He recently spoke to 15,000 sex workers about the subject and said it was one of the most meaningful experiences of his life: "I asked the girl who was translating for me, 'They understand the word sex?' 'Yeah, absolutely.' 'Do they understand the word condom?' She said, 'Absolutely.' So I started chanting 'No condoms. No sex. No condoms. No sex.' And 15,000 sex workers chanting that as a family, it was really extraordinary. One of the more moving moments I've had."
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