Mumbai: Actor Poonam Pandey's arrest over shooting an "objectionable" video in Goa is being cited as an example of gender discrimination on social media, with many pointing out to the praise Milind Soman received for his naked run on a beach.
The Goa Police on Thursday arrested the actor-model 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".
On the other hand, Soman peacefully rang in his 55th birthday on Wednesday by posting a photo wherein he can be seen running naked on a beach in Goa.
While Pandey faced legal trouble, most of the comments appreciated Soman for his commitment to fitness.
Screenwriter Apurva Asrani took to Twitter and wondered why rules were different 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.
Actor Parul Yadav tweeted,"The #hypocrisy is astounding...why is a man applauded and a woman arrested for doing the same thing? About time we move past this #inequality."
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.
Another user said, "#PoonamPandey didn’t even strip herself fully like Milind and yet got arrested. This took me back to old days when Pratistha Parampara aur Anushan sirf nario ke liye tha. (This took me back to days when prestige, tradition and discipline was only applied to women.)"
"Remind me why #PoonamPandey in legal trouble for obscenity while #MilindSoman is being applauded for what looks like the same thing?" tweeted a user.
Some also defended Soman for his naked run while justifying the action against Pandey.
"There's a difference between seductive and sultry poses and fitness pictures. #goa is not bollywood garbage dumping zone to do s***. Respect the land, law and people. If you can't then please don't come to Goa. #PoonamPandey" wrote a person.
Superintendent of Police (South) Pankaj Kumar Singh told reporters that the couple "sneaked" into the area in the early hours on October 31 and shot a short video.
Canacona Police registered an offence against Pandey on Wednesday for trespassing into government property and shooting and circulating an objectionable video clip.
Singh said a case was registered against unknown persons initially as the complaint by the Water Resources Department did not mention any name, nor did it provide the video.
After the police found that Pandey, who was staying at a five-star hotel in Calangute, was about to leave Goa on Thursday afternoon, she and her husband were detained.
