MAM
Bang Bang Films directors Nic & Sune direct Ranbir in Axe‘s new commercial
MUMBAI: Axe Click‘s new commercial starring leading Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor has rolled out.
The ad has been conceptualised by BBH Singapore, produced by Bang Bang Films and directed by Nic and Sune.
BBH Singapore regional business development director – Asia Ara Hampartsoumian said, “It‘s never an easy task when an advertising agency is asked to not only replicate but actually improve on what was previously a globally successful ad, but the four key elements of client, agency, production and celebrity all aligned on this one and we delivered. BBH had a wonderful experience shooting another great spot for Unilever‘s Axe brand in Bombay. Our star Ranbir Kapoor was truly a pleasure to work with and Bang Bang Films helped hold it all together. Really fun, wouldn‘t have changed a thing.”
Earlier, Nic and Sune and Bang Bang have worked with Ranbir together a couple of years ago in Pepsi‘s “Youngistaan ka Wow.”
Bang Bang Films founder and MD Roopak Saluja said, “Having delivered a super-hit Ranbir spot with Nic and Sune in the past, they were an obvious choice for Axe. Not too long ago, Axe was a brand using global creative on Indian TV. To have the opportunity to produce an Indian spot with the same aspirational production values is a real pleasure for us at Bang Bang.”
Talking about the commercial, director Sune Maroni said, “Being asked to shoot an Axe commercial is an honour for any commercials director. Their spots offer cheeky humour combined with sophisticated visuals and have managed to capture a space in the collective consciousness of young people all across the world.
We‘ve been lucky enough to shoot with Ranbir Kapoor before, and it is always a pleasure to work with such talent, but for this film we had more time to have fun. The script allowed for some improvisation on his part and he never fell short when challenged to add the RK-touch. We don‘t think it was too difficult for Ranbir to imagine himself in a situation where he is being flirted with by a great number of drop-dead-gorgeous women. His life is pretty much like that of Vince in the celebrated TV-series “Entourage”. Maybe that could be his next project, an adaption of “Entourage” for India. We would love to direct that.”
Brands
YES Bank hands the keys to SBI veteran Vinay Tonse as it bets on a new era
Former SBI managing director appointed as YES Bank’s new MD and CEO
MUMBAI: YES Bank is done rebuilding. Now it wants to grow. The private sector lender has appointed Vinay Muralidhar Tonse as managing director and chief executive officer-designate, with RBI approval secured and a start date of April 6, 2026 confirmed. The three-year term signals the bank’s intent to shift gears from crisis recovery to full-throttle expansion.
Tonse, 60, is no stranger to scale. Most recently managing director at State Bank of India, he oversaw a retail book of roughly $800bn in deposits and advances, one of the largest in the country. Before that, he ran SBI Mutual Fund from August 2020 to December 2022, a stint that saw assets under management surge from Rs 4.32 lakh crore to Rs 7.32 lakh crore across market cycles. Add stints in Singapore and four years leading SBI’s overseas operations in Osaka, and the incoming chief arrives with a genuinely global CV.
His academic grounding is equally solid: a commerce degree from St Joseph’s College of Commerce, Bengaluru, and a master’s in commerce from Bangalore University.
The appointment follows an extensive search and evaluation process by the bank’s Nomination and Remuneration Committee. NRC chairperson Nandita Gurjar said the committee unanimously backed Tonse, citing his leadership track record, governance credentials and ability to drive the bank’s next phase of transformation.
Non-executive chairman Rama Subramaniam Gandhi was unequivocal. “I am certain that Vinay Tonse, with his vast experience as a senior banker, will propel YES Bank to its next phase of growth,” Gandhi said, adding that the bank remains focused on strengthening its retail and corporate banking franchises and expanding its branch network.
Rajeev Kannan, non-executive director and senior executive at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, the bank’s largest shareholder, said Tonse’s experience across retail, corporate banking, global markets and asset management positioned him well to lead the lender. SMBC said it looks forward to working with Tonse and the board as YES Bank pursues its ambition of becoming a top-tier private sector lender anchored in strong governance and sustainable growth.
Tonse succeeds Prashant Kumar, who took the helm in March 2020 when YES Bank was in freefall following a severe financial crisis, and spent six years painstakingly stabilising the institution, rebuilding governance and restoring operational scale. Gandhi was generous: “The bank remains indebted to Prashant Kumar, who is responsible for much of what a strong financial powerhouse YES Bank is today.”
Tonse, for his part, struck a purposeful note. “Together with the board and my colleagues, I remain deeply committed to creating long-term value for all our stakeholders,” he said, pledging to build on Kumar’s foundation guided by his personal motto: Make A Difference.
Beyond the balance sheet, Tonse played cricket at college and club level and represented Karnataka in archery at the national championships — sports he credits with teaching him teamwork, situational leadership, discipline and focus. In quieter moments, he reaches for retro Kannada music, classic Hindi songs, and the crooning of Engelbert Humperdinck, Mukesh and Kishore Kumar.
YES Bank has its steady-handed rebuilder in Kumar to thank for survival. Now it has a scale-obsessed growth banker at the wheel. The next chapter starts April 6.
