Milind Soman

Milind Soman
Soman at the 2012 NDTV Marks for Sports event
Born (1965-11-04) 4 November 1965 (age 59)
NationalityIndian
Occupations
  • Swimmer
  • Model
  • Actor
  • Producer
  • TV presenter
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Spouses
  • (m. 2006; div. 2009)
  • Ankita Konwar
    (m. 2018)

Milind Usha Soman (born 4 November 1965) is an Indian actor, model, film producer, and fitness enthusiast. He rose to fame in the year 1995, when he got featured in Alisha Chinai's music video, Made in India. The same year, he made his debut as a television actor in A Mouthful of Sky.Later, he was seen in the Indian science fiction TV Series Captain Vyom. He also participated as contestant on the reality show Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 3 which aired on Colors TV.

Early and personal life

Soman was born on 4 November 1965[1][2] in Glasgow, Scotland in a Marathi Brahmin family. His family moved to Scotland/UK where he lived until the age of seven, then his family moved back to Mumbai, India in 1973. He attended Dr. Antonio Da Silva High School and Jr. College of Commerce, Bombay.

As a child Soman was enrolled in a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) shakha by his father, when he was 10 years old.[3] Later, he completed his Diploma in Electrical Engineering.[4][5]

Milind Soman met Mylene Jampanoi, a French actress, on the sets of their 2006 film, Valley of Flowers. The couple married in July 2006 at a resort in Goa. Soman and Jampanoi separated in 2008 and divorced in 2009.[6]

Soman married Ankita Konwar on 22 April 2018 in Alibaug.[7]

Career

In 1995, Soman got featured in Alisha Chinai's music video, Made in India. The same year, he made his debut as a television actor in A Mouthful of Sky.[8] Later, he was seen in the Indian science fiction TV Series Captain Vyom and also played part in the TV series Sea Hawks. Soman has worked in films such as Pachaikili Muthucharam, Paiyaa, Agni Varsha and Rules: Pyaar Ka Superhit Formula. In 2007 he appeared in Bhram, Say Salaam India and Bheja Fry. In 2009 he acted in Sachin Kundalkar's Marathi film Gandha. He has also acted in English language, foreign language films and television series, including Valley of Flowers and The Flag. In the Swedish film Arn – The Knight Templar he portrayed Saladin, the revered 12th-century Kurdish leader of the Arabs and Muslims. He was also seen playing an important role in the film Bajirao Mastani.

Soman has also produced Hindi film Rules: Pyaar Ka Superhit Formula and television serial Ghost Bana Dost.[9]

In 2010, he participated in the reality show Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 3. He was also seen in Amazon Prime series Four More Shots Please as Dr. Aamir Warsi and Alt Balaji series Paurashpur as Boris.[10]

Sports

He started swimming aged 6. He has represented Maharashtra at the age of 10 in various age groups before going on to represent his state at the senior level. Soman represented India in swimming in the inaugural South Asian Games (then known as South Asian Federation Games) in 1984 held at Kathmandu where he won a Silver medal.[11] In 2015, Milind completed the Ironman challenge in 15 hours and 19 minutes , in his first try.[12][13]

In the Media

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.[14] The case dragged on for 14 years, after which the courts acquitted the accused.[15]

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.[1] In addition, the actor was booked by the local police under section 294 (obscenity) of the Indian Penal Code, along with other relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.[16]

He has also starred in a controversial ad for Vim, promoting dishwashing liquid for men.[17][18]

Filmography

Films

Year Title Role Language Notes
2000 Tarkieb[19] Captain Ajit Verma Hindi
2002 Pyar Ki Dhun[19] Rohit
16 December Vikram
Agni Varsha Arvasu
2003 Rules: Pyaar Ka Superhit Formula Vikram Varma Also producer[20]
Surya Surya
2005 Jurm Rohit
Bhagmati[19] Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah
2006 Valley of Flowers Jalan Hindi, Japanese
Katputtli Arjun Hindi
2007 Pachaikili Muthucharam Lawrence Tamil
Say Salaam India Harry Oberoi Hindi
Bheja Fry Anant Ghoshal
Arn - Tempelriddaren Saladin Swedish
2008 Arn – The Kingdom at Road's End Saladin Swedish
Bhram Devendra Hindi
2009 The Flag Arjun
Satyameva Jeyathe Ranadev Telugu
Gandha: Smell Sarang Marathi
Do Paise Ki Dhoop, Chaar Aane Ki Baarish Sameer Hindi
Shadow Rahul Kapoor
2010 Paiyaa Baali Tamil
Nakshatra Inspector Gupta Hindi
2011 Vithagan Badri Tamil
2012 Agent Hamilton: But Not If It Concerns Your Daughter Abdul Rahman English
Jodi Breakers Mark Hindi
2013 David The Gangster
Alex Pandian Alvin Martin Tamil
Samhita The King Marathi
2015 Nagrik Vikas Patil
Bajirao Mastani Ambaji Pant Purandare Hindi [21]
2017 Chef Biju
Mukti - Birth of a Nation General J. F. R. Jacob English Short film
2018 Hamara Tiranga Arjun Hindi
2021 Doctor Colonel James Anderson Tamil
2023 One Friday Night Ram Varma Hindi
Lakadbaggha Tarun Bakshi Hindi
Starfish Arlo Hindi
2024 Emergency Sam Manekshaw Hindi Upcoming[22]

Television

Year Title Role Language Notes
1995 A Mouthful of Sky Akash Bhandarkar[23] English
1996 Daayra[24] Hindi
1997–1998 Vakaalat[19]
1997–1998 Sea Hawks Vikram Rajpoot
1997 Margarita[19] Pedro Also producer
1997–1999 Tanha[19]
1998–1999 Captain Vyom[19] Captain Vyom
2000–2001 Noorjahan[25] Salim
2000 Deewarein[24]
2006–2007 Ghost Bana Dost Producer[26]
2010 Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 3 Contestant
2012 MTV Rush Himself Also producer
2017–2018 India's Next Top Model Judge English, Hindi
2019-2021 MTV Supermodel of the Year Judge English, Hindi
2019–2020 Four More Shots Please! Dr. Aamir Warsi[27] English, Hindi
2020 Paurashpur[28] Boris Hindi
2022 Masaba Masaba[29] Himself

Music videos

Year Title Singer(s) Ref.
1995 Made in India (album) Alisha Chinai
1997 Jaanam Samjha Karo (album) Asha Bhosle
1999 Deewana (album) Sonu Nigam
2022 Shringar Akasa Singh, Aastha Gill, Raftaar [30]

References

  1. ^ a b "Milind Soman shares picture of him running in the nude on birthday, sparks meme-fest online". The Indian Express. 5 November 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  2. ^ Basu, Nilanjana (28 July 2021). ""Has Wikipedia Been Hacked?" Milind Soman's Entry Had 2 Birth Dates, Both From 2020". NDTV.com. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  3. ^ World, Hindustan Times (10 March 2020). "Milind Soman remembers his days at RSS shakha, says he's 'baffled' by communal connotations". Hindustan Times.
  4. ^ "Milind Soman reveals he was studying to be an engineer when he started modelling. New post". 25 June 2020.
  5. ^ "Milind Soman: Lesser known facts about the actor". The Times of India. 29 August 2018.
  6. ^ "Milind and Mylene part ways". The Times of India. 4 July 2008. Archived from the original on 31 December 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  7. ^ "Milind Soman and Ankita Konwar to exchange wedding vows in Alibaug today". The Times of India. 22 April 2018. Archived from the original on 22 April 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  8. ^ "First of Many: Milind Soman revisits A Mouthful of Sky". Yahoo! News. 18 March 2020. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  9. ^ "Milind Soman to produce TV series for children". ApunKaChoice.Com. 18 July 2006. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  10. ^ "Shilpa Shinde set for a royal avatar in new web series 'Paurashpur', also starring Milind Soman". Zee News. 8 November 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  11. ^ Namaste TV (5 December 2016). "Milind Soman LIVE - Full Episode - (HUAWEI Namaste TV Show)". Archived from the original on 1 January 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2017 – via YouTube.
  12. ^ "TV's 'Captain Vyom' Milind Soman turns Ironman". The Times of India. 21 July 2015. Archived from the original on 16 September 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  13. ^ Bureau, ABP News (12 September 2023). "'Swim Around The World...': Milind Soman Expresses Ambition For A World Record". news.abplive.com. Retrieved 6 January 2024. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  14. ^ "Tuff shoes case: Madhu, Milind plead not guilty". The Times of India. 29 October 2004. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  15. ^ "It's a big relief: Milind Soman". The Times of India. 1 December 2009. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
  16. ^ "Milind Soman faces FIR, charged with obscenity for naked run on Goa beach". Hindustan Times. 7 November 2020.
  17. ^ "Milind Soman promotes dishwashing liquid for men, internet refuses to believe this is a real product: 'Tell me this a spoof'". The Indian Express. 10 December 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  18. ^ "It Was A Joke: Vim Clarifies After Backlash Over 'First Dishwashing Liquid For Men'". NDTV.com. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g "rediff.com, Movies: The Milind Soman interview". www.rediff.com. Archived from the original on 11 September 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  20. ^ "Life, the Milind Soman way". The Times of India. 4 May 2003. Archived from the original on 16 September 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  21. ^ "Milind Soman in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Bajirao Mastani". bollywoodhungama.com. 23 August 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  22. ^ "Milind Soman to play 1971 Indo-Pak war hero Sam Manekshaw in Kangana Ranaut's directorial Emergency, see first look". Bollywood Hungama. 25 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  23. ^ "First of Many: Milind Soman revisits A Mouthful of Sky". 18 March 2020. Archived from the original on 18 March 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  24. ^ a b "The Sunday Tribune - Spectrum - Television". www.tribuneindia.com. Archived from the original on 8 June 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  25. ^ "Model Milind Soman to play Salim in serial Noorjahan on DD1". 27 September 1999. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
  26. ^ "StarOne unveils Milind Soman production 'Ghost Bana Dost'". 4 December 2006. Archived from the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  27. ^ "Four More Shots Please! season 2 confirmed by Amazon Prime Video. Check out first pics". Hindustan Times. 3 June 2019. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  28. ^ "Watch Paurashpur trailer : Starring Shilpa Shinde, Shaheer Sheikh and More - TheTrend24". Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  29. ^ Ramnath, Nandini (29 July 2022). "'Masaba Masaba' season 2 review: An improved round of fashion-froth-fun". Scroll.in. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  30. ^ "25 साल बाद श्रंगार से म्यूजिक वीडियो में मिलिंद सोमन की वापसी". Dainik Bhaskar. 1 July 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2022.