AIDS CAMPAIGN IN INDIA SIDELINED COURTESY A PECK ON THE CHEEK OF SHILPA SHETTY BY RICHARD GERE
- Richard Gere’s ‘lip service’, albeit on Shilpa Shetty’s cheek, awakened India’s moral police who first burnt the effigies of both the stars, shouted slogans from the bottom of their bellies, and slapped an arrest warrant against them. The 'east meets west' embrace in front of about 4,000 truckers at an Aids awareness campaign was a parody from Gere's film Shall We Dance. The act received cheers from truckers but failed to amuse a small group of Hindu hardliners. However this is not the first time the custodians of Indian morality have raised their voices against those who violated the so-called obscenity laws. A flashback: In 1980 Padmini Kolhapure gave a peck on Prince Charles cheek during his visit to a film shoot in Mumbai. This created sensation in the media and Padmini became a sensation – not for her acting prowess. In another instance in 1993, actress Shabana Azmi gave a peck on African leader Nelson Mandela's cheek, creating a huge uproar in the Muslim community. The actress was criticised for her over enthusiasm and for degrading Islamic values.
- Even today, on Valentine’s Day one could see right-wing groups ransacking shops and beating young couples for celebrating a western tradition in a tolerant Indian society. These fundamentalists argue that western culture corrupts the minds of youngsters; though a Bollywood movie is incomplete without an ‘item song’ sung by a scantily-dressed female swaying to a catchy number while the camera keeps drooling on her pelvic movements. Even the present breed of Bollywood stars openly lip-lock on the screen that easily passes through the censors’ scissors.
- So the question arises, who should abide by the law?
- Though Indian law does not allow kissing in public places, one can see couples stealing a ‘quick kiss’ in cinema halls, college campuses and even in gardens.
- India’s GENext finds this question redundant. They find unemployment, Aids awareness, power and water shortages as more important issues then going gaga over a kiss-on-a-cheek issue.
- Even legal experts expressed that lodging complaints and issuing arrest warrants against the so-called moral offenders is a cheap publicity stunt. They argue that it is the easiest way to get publicity through print and electronic media. India has over 300 news channels and an unaccountable number of newspapers and periodicals. This gigantic media force is enough to give any small group or an individual instant publicity in a one billion populace.
- Coming back to the present scenario, the Pretty Woman star Gere has apologised to the Indian public by saying: “What is most important to me is that my intentions as an HIV/Aids advocate be made clear, and that my friends in India understand that it has never been, nor could it ever be, my intention to offend you.”
- But there could be no respite for Gere, a frequent traveller to India, because under the law he could face up to three months in prison, a fine, or both if convicted. Though Gere won support from lawyers and legal experts, who slammed the Jaipur court ruling for issuing the arrest warrant, much has to be seen on how the Indian media handles this ‘kiss-and-tell’ issue. I had enough of writing it. Hope you too will give up this issue after reading this.
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