Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; November 7, 2017)

Bollywood’s favourite onscreen couple Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt were recently seen giving a desi twist to Romeo and Juliet in a commercial that urges citizens to keep Mumbai clean. Taking the initiative ahead, the two have now shot for another ad in which they will be seen as astronauts. Produced by Dharma 2.0, it sees them teaming up for the first time with director Punit Mallhotra.

Malhotra, who shot a commercial with Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan a few months ago, says that Dhawan and Bhatt were the ideal choice for such a campaign. “They are youth icons. When they back such powerful concepts, it drives the point home, especially among the youngsters,” he says.

The commercial, which is a part of the Adar Poonawalla Clean City Initiative, sees the two descending on the moon from a spaceship. When Dhawan unwraps a chocolate bar and throws the wrapper around, an irked Bhatt teaches him a lesson by leaving him behind to fend for himself.

Malhotra, who also shot the Romeo-Juliet commercial, says, “The importance of a greener and cleaner environment needs to be reinforced. We addressed that in the first ad. The second one will release soon.”