Soman was one of the earliest professional male models in India. His first significant work was to model in an advertising campaign for a clothing manufacturer. He quickly became one of the most successful models in the country.[citation needed] He rose to further fame while featuring in Alisha Chinai's superhit music video, Made in India (1995) which then made him a household name. In the mid-1990s after his rapid modeling fame, he started out with the titular role in the Indian science fiction TV Series Captain Vyom. He then focused on films starting in 2000. Soman's films include 16 December, Pachaikili Muthucharam, Paiyaa, Agni Varsha and Asoka. 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 a number of English language and other foreign films, 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.