Richard Gere has apologised for the offence caused in India by his public kiss with Shilpa Shetty.

The actor is facing arrest for the incident, which took place at an Aids awareness event in Delhi earlier this month. Meanwhile, effigies of Gere have been burned by citizens in Mumbai, Varanasi and New Delhi.

"What is most important to me is that my intentions as an HIV/AIDS advocate be made clear, and that my friends in India understand that it has never been, nor could it ever be, my intention to offend you," Gere explained in a statement. "If that has happened, of course it is easy for me to offer a sincere apology."