Mumbai:
Maximum city is facing a terrible water shortage. There's already a 15% water cut and the richest municipality in the country seems to have tried everything from fines to arrests to appeals to get Mumbaikars to save water. Now they are trying star power.
The municipal authorities have roped in master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, no less, to drive home to point.
From colas to constructions, even insurance, Sachin Tendulkar has batted for big brands.
Now he's padding up for aamchi Mumbai, leading by example to urge the city to save water.
The BMC says Sachin has already switched from showers to bucket baths at home.
And in an ad the master blaster will appeal to Mumbaikars to follow his example.
The Municipal Commissioner Swadhin Kshatriya is pinning his hopes on this campaign, "Since Sachin is a Mumbaikar and a very popular figure, we feel he will be able to drive the message home."
The Hindi and Marathi ad shot gratis by Sachin is expected to make a splash in the next fortnight.
But is Mumbai ready to take its celeb son's advice seriously?
Sunayana, a resident of Churchgate, is dealing with water problems every day. Her building receives just one hour's supply of water from the corporation. She agrees with the idea of roping in the icon. "Desperate situations call for desperate measures. I think it's a good idea, at least it's a start. We are such a celebrity crazy country, hopefully if he (Sachin) says something, someone will listen", she says.
A college student, though views this desperation slightly differently, "What's the point getting someone who doesn't face the crisis to do the ad? At some level, I think its hypocrisy. It won't be believable."
Another teenager added, "Maybe only those who love cricket will follow it. Unless someone feels the water shortage, no one will really learn to save water."
Perhaps, Rahul's cheeky reply will not go down too well with the city's administrator's either. He quips, "Save water, drink beer. Well, if I had got the chance to shoot with Sachin, then maybe it would have felt differently."
For starters though, the municipality can certainly practice what it's preaching as NDTV discovered in water-starved Mankhurd.
Slum dwellers were struggling to fill water from a roadside nullah, while not too far away, the municipal body's garbage truck was getting a thorough cleaning as water sprayed out of a hose pipe.
But is anyone listening?