Days after actress and social media star Poonam Pandey was arrested for shooting an 'objectionable' video in Goa, the state police filed a case against model and fitness freak Milind Soman for spreading obscenity in a public place and promoting it on social media. On November 4, Milind Soman posted a nude picture on his Instagram, in which he is running on Goa Beach. The actor wrote, "Happy birthday to me.. 55 and running." The picture was clicked by his wife Ankita Konwar. Goa Police has registered a case against Soman under IPC Sec 294 and IT Act Sec 67 for taking this picture.
The police complaint came after Twitterati expressed anger over 'double standards' of the officials for arresting Poonam Pnadey but not taking action against Soman. On Friday, the Pandey vs Soman stories were the center of heated debate on Twitter with much soul searching on gender biases, sexism and double standards in the industry and in society.
For the unversed, the Goa Police on Thursday arrested Poonam Pandey and her husband for allegedly trespassing on government property and shooting an "objectionable" video at a dam in Canacona town. The shoot on the government property had triggered a controversy with opposition parties demanding action against Pandey for shooting the video, which they termed as "obscene".
Reacting to the controversy, screenwriter Apurva Asrani took to Twitter to point out how there are different rules for men and women. "PoonamPandey & #MilindSoman both stripped down to their birthday suits in #Goa recently. Pandey partly, Soman completely. Pandey is in legal trouble--for obscenity. Soman is being lauded for his fit body at age 55. I guess we are kinder to our nude men than to our nude women," Asrani wrote.
"Our women are labelled sluts if they go nude. Men are not. Actresses who 'bare' are branded sex-sirens for life, rarely reaching respectable positions like Madhuri & Sridevi. Male actors though, get away with sex scenes & hairy-chest titillation. Face it. We are a sexist society," the Goa-based writer added.
Other users labelled the two cases as a classic example of "double standards". "Double standards! Nude man being praised @milindrunning and nude women @pandeypoonam20 being criticized in the same place. (Goa) Why can''t both receive the equal treatment.#PoonamPandey" wrote a person.
However, there were others who supported Milind Soman and claimed that there is a difference between them. "There's a difference between seductive and sultry poses and fitness pictures. Respect the land, law and people. If you can't then please don''t come to Goa. #PoonamPandey" wrote a person.
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