In 1995, Milind Soman and his then-girlfriend,
Madhu Sapre, an ex-
Miss India and model attracted controversy in India, when the pair posed nude in a print ad for Tuffs Shoes. The social service branch of the
Mumbai police had registered a case in August 1995 after Sapre and Soman posed in the nude, wearing only shoes and a python wrapped around them. Another case was filed under the
Wildlife Protection Act against the advertising agency for illegal use of the python. The accused include the publishers and distributors of two magazines that featured the controversial ad, the advertising agency, the two models, and the photographers. The case dragged on for 14 years, after which the courts acquitted the accused. On his 55th birthday in 2020, Soman shared a photograph on social media of himself running in the nude on a beach in Goa. The incident led to the creation of many
Internet memes featuring the picture. He has also starred in a controversial ad for Vim, promoting dishwashing liquid for men. == Filmography ==