It’s been three years since Rahul Dravid found himself in an unexpectedly unruly avatar when he starred in an ad with the now legendary line ‘Indiranagar ka gunda hu main’. In a recent interview, Dravid admitted that he had initial reservations when the makers came up with the idea of casting him as a furious man caught in a road accident in the middle of Bengaluru’s rush hour traffic.
Speaking to Gaurav Kapur on the latest episode of Breakfast With Champions, Dravid said his mother joked about his new on-screen persona after seeing glimpses an ad that went viral on social media.
“She (my mother) says, ‘Why did you have to do that?’. She was also joking. She saw the funny side of it. It was good. At first I was like, ‘how is this going to turn out? What is it going to look like? What are people going to say?'”
Typically the epitome of calm professionalism on and off the field, Dravid’s batting, road-rage persona in the ad was a refreshing contrast – and the public responded accordingly.
“But Tanmay Bhatt wrote the script. The director was there. I told them, ‘Guys, I’m either going to abuse you all at the end of this or we’re going to be fine’. I’m glad it turned out well.”
Since the ad dropped in April 2021, it has quickly gone viral. From memes to social media links, Dravid’s angry alter ego – complete with shouts of “Come on man!” and “Indiranagar ka gunda hu main!” – has become part of the cultural lexicon. Fans on Reddit and X have been poking fun at it, celebrating it and even adopting the phrase to comment on daily frustrations – especially traffic jams in Bengaluru.
Dravid himself reflected on the very real connection the audience made:
“I think everyone has had that experience of sitting in traffic in India. Everyone has. Everyone wants to do it but can’t. When they see me doing it, they’re like, ‘okay, that’s exactly what I want to do’.”
Yet behind the humor and hype, there was one person less convinced – his mother.
For a man whose cricketing demeanor was characterized by stoicism, technical mastery and unshakable composure, the ad represented a bold and almost self-parodying departure. But it achieved exactly what the brand intended – to make people sit, watch, laugh and talk.
However, Indiranagar ka gunda continued to remain calm and compose professionally. The former captain, who coached the senior men’s national team for three years between 2021 and 2024, worked closely with Rohit Sharma. After suffering in the 2023 World Cup final, Dravid and Rohit combined to end India’s ICC trophy drought by winning the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Dravid let his emotions out in yet another famous scene – this time at the T20 World Cup trophy celebrations in Barbados. After Virat Kohli presented him with the trophy, Dravid, uncharacteristically, let out a huge roar and soaked up the feeling of being the world champion again. He later joined the team’s celebrations during the victory parade in Mumbai after India returned home with the prized trophy.
Since completing his stint as head coach, Dravid has taken time out to be with his family and oversee the budding cricket careers of his sons Samit and Anvay.
– The end
Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
October 30, 2025
