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Shilpa Shetty hits back at her detractors
17th Apr 2007 09.01 IST
By Agencies

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty , in the eye of a storm over Hollywood star Richard Gere kissing her, has hit back at her detractors.

Shilpa said she was surprised at the way people were reacting to it and wondered what was the sin committed by her.

"It was done in good humour. We are actors, entertainers and I think Richard was only trying to entertain the audience," Shilpa said on Monday.

Attacking those including Shiv Sena for describing the act as an assault on India's ethos, Shilpa said, "This is his culture, not our's. I understand this. But this was not such a big thing or so obscene for people to over react in such a manner. His effigies are being burnt."

"Nobody is talking about the real issue. I think the only mistake was that it went slightly overboard," Shilpa said.

Defending Gere's "impromptu act", Shilpa said instead of asking him to apologise "we should be thankful to him for doing so much for the cause".

Expressing her anguish over the media's handling of the issue, Shilpa said, "I want to know from the media and people giving reactions. What have they done for the cause?

"We took out time and put money, and people are going against us, they want us to apologise. For what should we apologise, we have talked about a pertinent issue like AIDS," Shilpa said.

Shilpa, who grabbed the headlines earlier this year when racist comments against her from a fellow contestant of the celebrity show Big Brother were widely condemned by people, stressed she would not do anything that lowers her dignity.

"Nothing of that sort happened about which I should feel bad or any other Indian should feel bad," said Shilpa.

Explaining what lead Richard Gere to kiss her on the stage, she said the two were discussing about his recent film "Shall We Dance".

"I was telling him that he was really good in the film and we were joking about it. In an impromptu move, he did a dance step from the film with me, kissing me on my cheek, thanking me," Shilpa said.

Later, over 50 Shiv Sena activists stormed a film shoot in which Shilpa was taking part in neighbouring Navi Mumbai on Monday protesting her kissing act, police said.

"The activists converged at the Vashi railway station where the film Metro was being shot and burnt an effigy of Shilpa and shouted slogans against her," Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Ramrao Wagh said here.

The situation has been bought under control with some activists being detained, he said.

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