When Gibu George received a call from a casting agent in January last year asking if he was interested in auditioning for a part in a music video featuring a band, he thought to himself, “why not”.
The Singapore permanent resident, who has acted in three Malayalam films and seven English and Malayalam short films, was selected for the part a week later – but still, he had no idea who the band was or where they were from.
“I had no clue what the video was even about,” he told tabla!. “Nevertheless, I decided I would do the shoot.”
Soon, he was told to meet the producers at a spot near the Singapore Flyer. There, he found out a team of 25 actors was involved in the shoot.
“We were asked to sign a non-disclosure form, and told that we would be taking part in a video for a European band,” said Gibu. “Even then I wasn’t bothered which band it was.”
From the Singapore Flyer they were ferried in a boat to a small floating platform in the middle of Marina Bay. Gibu was the first to step out of the boat, and he was greeted by a man he couldn’t recognise at first.
“He looked familiar, and then I realised that it was none other than Coldplay’s frontman Chris Martin,” said Gibu. “He made it a point to receive each one of us warmly.”
From that moment on, it was four hours of “pure thrills” for Gibu, who is an IT professional with a multinational company.
“The 25 of us were to act like we were at a Coldplay concert,” said Gibu. “And actually it was so special because the four members of Coldplay played only for us.
“To get a ticket to a Coldplay concert is so difficult. And here was the band playing exclusively for us. I had goosebumps. I was being paid to hang out with megastars.”
According to Gibu, who did not want to reveal how much he was paid, Martin made them all “feel at home”.
“He sat with us and chatted and copied our steps,” said Gibu. “He even allowed one of us to play his guitar.
“People look at Chris Martin like he’s a god. But there he was moving around without even shoes. He made us so comfortable that we felt like we were a part of the band.
“I used to hear Coldplay songs on and off but was never a diehard fan. But, from that day on, they became my favourite band.”
The next day, Gibu was asked to go to a coffee shop in Chinatown. There, director Ben Mor asked him to act out a scene, where he had to make fun of a waitress who was frustrated with life. As he jokes with her, she throws a glass of water at him.
“Both the shoots went so well that Coldplay gave us free tickets for their sixth and final show in Singapore during their Music of the Spheres World Tour in January 2024,” said Gibu. “The show was simply spectacular.
“I then realised why fans around the world love them so much. I became hooked to their music and elevated their songs to No. 1 in my playlist.”
A year later, the video featuring Gibu was released. Man In The Moon, from the extended Full Moon Edition of the band’s latest international No. 1 album Moon Music, was released on Feb 7.
Set against Singapore’s vibrant multicultural backdrop, the video captures the song’s theme of unity and shared experiences that go beyond individual differences.
The video was filmed in collaboration with Warner Music Singapore and the Singapore Tourism Board. It features Singapore’s iconic cityscape from Marina Bay to Fort Canning Park, as well as other spots including People’s Park Complex, Jewel Changi Airport, Gardens by the Bay, hawker centres and residential neighbourhoods.
Since the video was released, Gibu, who won the best actor award at the 2023 Barcelona International Film Festival for his role in the Singapore-made English short film The Wheel, has become a bit of a “mini-celeb”. People have been calling him up and congratulating him and asking about the entire filming experience.
“I believe I played an important role in Man In The Moon because I was the only Indian actor and got to act in two scenes,” said Gibu.
“The whole experience was pure magical for me. I have never felt like that before. Now I listen to that song every day – while at home, driving or whenever I have spare time.”
