MUMBAI: If there was one thing that bowled over netizens this weekend, it was Rahul Dravid’s dramatic turn as ‘Indiranagar ka gunda’ in a Cred advertisement. Otherwise known for his cool persona, a commercial managed to do what the fiercest bowlers and toughest competition couldn’t — get Dravid to lose his cool.
To acknowledge and pay tribute to his the cricket legend’s extraordinary performance, coworking space provider 315Work Avenue has come up with witty responses to the new campaign. The company expressed how safe their working space is from ‘gundas’, especially in Indiranagar, where it’s office is located.
It emphasised that, “Our wall is strong enough to keep you safe from Indiranagar Gunda: book your space now,” playing on ‘The Wall’ moniker of the cricketer. The other riposte talked about safety: “Safest Work Place in Indiranagar: Could protect from angry Gunda too.”
315Work Avenue founder Manas Mehrotra said: “The always affable Dravid shouting, smashing rear-view mirrors and throwing coffee, is a brilliant play on his persona. The less than 15 menacing seconds on-screen ad transforms the public image of the former captain of the Indian national cricket team. We could not have imagined that India’s wall would one day be an Indiranagar gunda. As a cricket lover and a fan of Rahul Dravid, we are in awe of the most unexpected character. We came with our response as we wanted to pay an ode to this fantastic campaign and we made sure that we played with words to match the tempo.”
Several other brands like Zomato, Oyo and Parle-G also hitched onto the bandwagon and created some wonderful spinoffs of the Cred ad. Along with the ex-cricketer’s colleagues, including Indian skipper Kohli, top marketing professionals, movie makers and actors also lauded Dravid for his unexpectedly marvellous ‘off-field’ performance. Meanwhile, social media has been in a frenzy since the ad hit the internet, churning out bountiful memes revolving around the rarely-ruffled Rahul Dravid.
