No smooching!

As Gere offered Shilpa his hand as she stepped off the stage at the Awards Nite in Toronto, guests held their collective breath. Would there be a kiss? Or even a peck?

Fans awaited a repeat of the incident when Gere kissed Shetty at an AIDS awareness event a few months ago in New Delhi. But there was no smooch at the Awards to honour Gere for his Indian AIDS foundation work. Mention of the kiss was studiously avoided until Gere himself brought it up, noting that in introducing Shetty, host Ajay Virmani left out an important part of her career which happened this year. A certain slow dance movement with a certain American movie star.

Shilpa Shetty presented Richard Gere with the prestigious 'ONE X ONE Difference Award' at a charity gala organized by the world famous 'ONE X ONE Foundation' to raise funds for awareness in welfare of children, at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, in Toronto, Canada, recently.

The foundation honoured the 57-year-old Gere; a practicing Buddhist, in appreciation of his charity work. In the past, Gere has campaigned for ecological causes, AIDS awareness, to promote peace, justice and understanding, and for the rights and lands of tribal people throughout the world. He helped to establish the 'AIDS Care Home' - a residential facility in India for women and children with AIDS, and also created the 'Gere Foundation India Trust' to support a variety of humanitarian programs in India.

Since the award was presented in recognition of individuals around the world, who have dedicated their lives to fighting child poverty and suffering, it was a matter of great prestige for Shilpa to be a part of this event, commented the actress's spokesperson Dale Bhagwagar.

Though like Shilpa, controversy hasn't eluded Gere in recent times. It can be recalled that a few months ago, a furore ensued when the 'Pretty Woman' actor planted a couple of loving pecks on Shilpa's cheeks during an AIDS awareness rally in India. Crowds burned posters of Shilpa and Gere in protest.

Apart from Gere, the ONE X ONE gala honoured personalities such as Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine and supermodel and philanthropist Petra Nemcova with the 'Difference Award'.

The event, hosted by Academy Award winner Matt Damon, featured performances by Grammy Award winner Shakira, Wyclef Jean of the Fugees, Montreal singing sensation Nikki Yanofsky, the African Children's Choir and many others.

Wyclef Jean was also honoured for his 'Yéle Haiti Foundation' (Cry Haiti), as was Charlie Engle, Ray Zahab and Kevin Lin, who ran across the Sahara Dessert earlier this year to raise awareness for 'H2O Africa', the clean-water initiative founded by Damon.

ONE X ONE is known to help create a world where children can live in safety and with dignity. Last year's gala raised over $3.5 million and since the foundation's inception in 2005, it has raised more than $5 million.