Richard Gere's kiss sets nation on fire

"If protecting Indian culture and tradition means burning our effigies, please go ahead and carry on with your protests. But, our culture also teaches us to imbibe 'Atithi Devo Bhava' (the guest is god)," she said.

"I know it is blown out of proportion. I feel people are overreacting. Don't misuse the freedom of expression in a democracy," she told media persons.

Bollywood too came out in her defence. "If she does not have an objection, why should others be bothered? She is above 18, is grown up and knows what she is doing. I really wonder what has happened to the world's biggest democracy where every citizen has the right to expression and this reaction from fundamentalists groups is really uncalled for," actress Celina Jaitley said.

"When the mother of civilization gets obsessed with trivia, you can be sure doom is around the corner," noted social activist and movie director Mahesh Bhatt added.

Shetty also got support from noted Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen, who dubbed the protestors as fundamentalists. Nasreen told reporters in Bhopal that since the actress was at ease with the incident nobody has the right to challenge her freedom. "Who are those staging the protest? Are they the cultural police? This is a democracy... Everybody has the right to express themselves," she said.

Anjali Gopolan, head of Indian Aids prevention group the Naz Foundation, said: "I think he responded as an actor. He was playing to the gallery. I don't see anything bad."