In India, a public kiss is not just a kiss
A warrant for Richard Gere's arrest is part of the nation's struggle to come to terms with its views of women and sexuality.
from the April 30, 2007 edition
Page 2 of 3
How Indians view Gere's act
Among the shoppers and store-keepers seeking respite from the heat at Delhi's Sarojini market, none is inclined to pick up a pitchfork in response to the Gere kiss. "It's like a wave on the sea," says Pooja Srivastava, a stylish 20-something in a top that sparkles. "In 10 to 15 days it will be gone and no one will remember."
If it didn't bother the actress, Ms. Shetty, she says, what's the problem?
Others are more cynical about the motives of the legal case. "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.
Not everyone is so dismissive, however. Sitting among the multicolored saris he sells, Rajesh Dhanraj agrees that the warrant is unnecessary, saying that Gere "does that sort of thing in his culture."
But he adds: "That sort of thing is not to be done here."
He is not angry, but rather rueful. India is changing, he says. Only a decade ago, onscreen kisses were unheard of. While rare, they are slowly becoming more common. "If we accept it in film, why should we not accept it in real life?" he asks.
A kiss is a small thing, perhaps, but it is symptomatic of something much larger, sociologists say. This is a place where future spouses often do not meet until the wedding is arranged by their parents. The notion of courtship is still a novelty for many. In this context, the mounting influence of the Western world – and its far more open interaction between men and women – is revolutionary.
"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."
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