Now, Akshay Kumar in BMC ads

Beginning next week, actor Akshay Kumar will be seen encouraging Mumbaikars to keep the city clean. The message is part of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) drive to ensure that the city's ranking improves in Swachh Survekshan 2018.

Kumar consented to be the brand ambassador after the civic chief, Ajoy Mehta wrote to him on Saturday. The Swaccha Survekshan 2018 will be conducted from January 4 to March 10 this year by the ministry of housing and urban affairs, which looks after the Swachh Abhiyan campaign. It assesses the cleanliness standards of various cities in India on the basis of citizen's feedback.

Mumbai ranked 29 in the 2017 survey report. "He has consented orally to be our brand ambassador. Through the ads, citizens will be asked not to spit, or throw garbage. The ads are likely to be screened from next week onwards. He was keen that ads get shot early so one of the shoots happened on Saturday," said Kiran Dighavkar, assistant municipal commissioner, who is coordinating the Swachh Survekshan at the BMC.