No kiss and tell for Indians? | Kiss of controversy

KISS AND TELL: The Shilpa Shetty-Richard Gere kiss sparked nationwide protests recently.

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New Delhi: Kissing in public has always sparked controversy in India, even if it's between self-confessed lovers.

Jog your memory to the alleged Kareena Kapoor-Shahid Kapur liplock which hit headlines a couple of years ago.

Though the actors denied being in the widely circulated MMS clip which was allegedly taken at a restaurant, the episode sparked off a debate on privacy and media intrusion.

Starlet Rakhi Sawant and singer Mika's public kiss and spat also managed to grab ample airtime and print space.

“He kissed me in full media glare, forcefully,” said Rakhi.

While on the one hand Rakhi threatened Mika with legal consequences for “taking advantage of her”, Mika later came out to offer a public apology.

All things said and done, both the item girl and the little-known singer got more than 15 minutes of fame from this one.

Of course the Shilpa Shetty-Richard Gere kiss at an AIDS awareness event earlier this year evoked sporadic protests across the country.

This harmless exhibition of Hollywood-Bollywood camaraderie ended up with an arrest warrant in the Gere’s name and court summons for the actress.

But it's not just public kissing in India that brings unwarranted attention. Actor Bipasha Basu being kissed by ace footballer Cristiano Ronaldo in Lisbon also managed to grab many an eyeball.

Despite denials from Bipasha, the picture showing the two had the grapevine buzzing on everything from a Bipasha-Ronaldo fling to an imminent break up with boyfriend John Abraham.

So while kissing on-screen may no longer raise an eyebrow in India, kissing and then telling in public stills gets the country all hot and bothered.