Chris Gayle stars in ad campaign in India with Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh
Universe Boss says India is his second home
Published:Tuesday | October 24, 2023 | 12:09 AMYasmine Peru/Senior Gleaner Writer
Retired superstar batsman Chris Gayle’s dream of the silver screen is getting closer to reality each day, even as his music career as the Universe Boss is soaring. Gayle, who recently starred in a major advertising campaign in India with Ranveer Singh, one of the country’s biggest Bollywood actors, is hailing this move as one with mega benefits.
“This brings the Universe Boss brand more value and also opens up more acting and commercial opportunities,” Gayle emphasised, adding that he was ecstatic that the compilation album, Tropical House Cruises to Jamaica: The Asian Edition, on which he has two songs, is under consideration in the Reggae Grammy category.
The ad campaign is for a food delivery company in India called Zomato and Gayle noted that “the release is timely because it coincides with the start of the cricket World Cup which is being hosted in India. Therefore, millions of people will see the ad while watching cricket and order their food”.
The Zomato ad can be seen on YouTube where it has amassed 7.7 million views since its release two weeks ago.
He shared that he was specifically chosen for the Zomato campaign because the company wanted to combine the star power of the Bollywood film industry and a star in the sport of cricket.
“Ranveer Singh is a superstar in acting in India, with over 45 million followers on Instagram. I had met him before doing the ad. So, on set, the vibe was very relaxed and I just acted like myself. It was fun and really comfortable. The set was that of a watch party where people gather at one person’s house to watch a cricket match, and we ordered food from Zomato and Ranveer Singh and I argued comically about the pronunciation of the word Zomato,” explained an upbeat Gayle, who has made known his desire to go into acting.
Singh, according to his bio, is the recipient of several awards, including five Filmfare Awards. He is among the highest-paid Indian actors and has been featured in Forbes India’s Celebrity 100 list since 2012.
This is not the first time that Chris Gayle is stepping out big in India with an ad campaign. In 2013, IPL sponsor PepsiCo India signed him and Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra – Miss World 2000 – for its ongoing marketing campaign.
“PepsiCo India had a very big ad campaign that was geared towards a young audience in India. Priyanka was pretending to be a spiritual guru and she was telling the people to cheer for a particular team that would win. I played a priest in the temple who met her and encouraged her to cheer for Royal Challengers Bangalore and offered her the Pepsi as a bribe. It worked and she switched sides and then started to predict that my team would win,” Gayle recalled.
Gayle, who has visited India more times than he can count, shared what fascinates him about the country.
“What I love most about India is the people and the love they have for me. The Chris Gayle/Universe Boss brand is so strong right now in India ... with my music and our Tropical House album going for a Grammy and my endorsement power, as well as my desire to pursue acting and bring more Jamaican culture to India. Also about India ... I really love the food and culture. India is my second home,” Gayle declared.