Shilpa Shetty, Richard Gere obscenity case: What happened in 2007?

In 2007, Gere and Shetty had come together for an AIDS awareness programme in Rajasthan. On the stage, Gere kissed the actress on her cheeks during a promotional event in Rajasthan, causing a stir in the country.  The kissing incident had evoked strong protests in several cities in India.

Following complaints, cases were registered against both Gere and Shetty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Information Technology Act for obscenity. The complaint against Shilpa Shetty was that she did not protest when kissed by Richard Gere.

The case was transferred to Mumbai from the court of magistrate first class in Rajasthan on the orders of the Supreme Court in 2017.

However, after effigies of Richard Gere were burnt after the controversial kiss, he apologised for causing the offence and Shilpa Shetty described the protests as over reactions. 

Read more: 2007 obscenity case: Mumbai court calls Shilpa Shetty 'victim' of Richard Gere's act, discharges her

Soon after the verdict, Shetty shared her picture on Instagram which said: "If you want to be happy...be." 

"Being happy is in your hands. Don’t wait for another person, or the weekend, or a special occasion to bring you joy and happiness. When you want to take a couple hours off from your schedule, do it. Want to read a book? Buy it and give it at least an hour every day. Want to paint, dance, sing, write, jog, exercise, swim…? Do it! Do whatever it is that makes you happy. Your mind, body, heart, and soul will thank you in abundance," she captioned the picture.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Shilpa is currently judging the reality TV show, India’s Got Talent alongside Kirron Kher, Manoj Muntashir and Badshah.