Protesters said that Richard Gere had insulted the culture of India and in Mumbai (Bombay) they set light to effigies of the actor, whilst elsewhere angry demonstrators shouted "death to Shilpa Shetty".
Shilpa Shetty is reported to have said, "it was not so obscene".
And Anjali Gopolan, head of Indian Aids prevention group the Naz Foundation, was in support of Richard Gere’s behaviour and commented: "I think he responded as an actor. He was playing to the gallery. I don't see anything bad."
Newspapers in India carried the story of Richard Gere and Shilpa Shetty as front-page news and it was also reported on by the television there.
