Desi Galaxy

The world is watching Indian Kissing scandals closely. The world can understand that the public display of affection by kissing hurts Indian feelings. But we have news of complaints filed in Indian courts against the kissing scenes in the movies. Just a few days ago Aishwarya Rai was summoned by the court to explain an “obscene” kissing scene in the movie Dhoom 2.

Christian Science Monitor takes a good look at the Indian sensibilities and the controversy over the Gere-Shetty kissing. In India, a public kiss is not just a kiss is the title of the story. They interviewed people like shopkeepers, college girls and sociologists.

“Courts spend 20 years on rape cases, and here they’ve issued a warrant in weeks,” says Hardeep Singh, sitting behind the counter of his father’s shoe store.

Since Bollywood has taken the lead to break the kissing taboo so it is easily understood why the actors and actresses are becoming victim of public anger. But Bollywood refrains to take part in the debate openly as they have always tried to keep a distance from politically charged controversies. It is not good for their business, I guess. I liked what Dipankar Gupta said while explaining the Indian fury over the kissing scenes in the movies and real life.

“Two very different societies are colliding with each other,” says Dipankar Gupta, a sociologist at Jawaharlal Nehru University here. “Because of the Western influence, the changes here are not a natural evolution.”…
….After all, this is the land of the “item girl” – that would-be Bollywood star whose dancing includes everything short of a pole and a wardrobe malfunction. Yet for all her overt sexuality, the temptress is acceptably Indian. The public kiss is not.

Remember we talked (like every body else) about the innocent Richard Gere kissing Shilpa. Well, but a court in India finds it Obscene and has issued arrest warrant for Richard Gere. While talking to Jon Stewart on the Daily show Richard Gere said:

Me kissing the girl on the cheek was nothing. There is a very small right-wing, very conservative political party in India and they are the moral police in India … they do this kind of thing quite often. I do not know of anyone who has gone to jail for something like this.

Shilpa Shetty’s spokesperson Dale Bhagwager told that Shilpa had not received any court order or summons and was currently away visiting temples. He said Shetty had not done anything wrong.

What is there to comment? They were three innocent, natural cute pecks on the cheek. What can one say, when three pecks can be made into an issue in the land of the Kama Sutra? People should concentrate on the bigger issue of Aids, rather than this.

Under the Indian law a person convicted for public obscenity may end serving up to three months in prison, a fine or both.

Poor Richard Gere he didn’t know that kissing someone is such a big issue in India. And kissing someone in public is a horrible act. The controversy sparked when Richard Gere kissed Celebrity Big Brother winner Shilpa Shetty during an AIDS HIV awareness rally.

Some Hindu fundamentalist parties hijacked the issue, claiming that Richard’s kissing was vulgar. They organized protests in Mumbai shouting “death to Shilpa Shetty”.

Shilpa Shetty dismissed the public criticism by saying:

What he did was very sweet. It was all in good humour, He especially told me to tell the media that he didn’t want to hurt any Indian sensibilities. I am happy that this has happened because at least now people will talk about the issue of Aids and HIV.

Richard surely didn’t know the sensibilities of macho Indian society where all Indian men want all Indian women for themselves. A Gora kissing their big brother winner is disgusting. However, if the same gora or even if some desi had kissed Shilpa on screen then they would have loved it. Kissing to Indian society is something so special and fantastic that they can not see it happening in real, under broad daylight.