Fahadh Faasil explains why he turned down Alejandro G. Iñárritu's Hollywood project

Tom Cruise's upcoming film Digger has become one of the most talked-about Hollywood releases after its first trailer impressed audiences around the world. Along with the excitement surrounding the film, an old interview of Malayalam actor Fahadh Faasil has resurfaced on social media, leading to speculation that he may have turned down a role that eventually went to British actor Riz Ahmed.

However, there is no official confirmation that Fahadh was offered the same role now being played by Riz Ahmed. The speculation began after fans connected Fahadh's earlier comments about a Hollywood project with the cast announcement of Digger, which is directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alejandro G. Iñárritu.

The rumours started after Fahadh spoke about an opportunity to work with the celebrated director during an interview with film critic Maneesh Narayanan for Cue Studio while promoting his upcoming Malayalam film Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira (OKCK).

During the conversation, Fahadh was asked whether he had considered working in international films. He initially joked that he had auditioned for one of Iñárritu's projects but was rejected. However, he later clarified that the situation was more complicated than that.

The actor explained that he was not rejected outright. Instead, the filmmaker was concerned about his accent and wanted him to spend several months in the United States undergoing accent training before filming could begin.

Fahadh explains why he stepped away

Fahadh said the production team wanted him to stay in America for three to four months to improve his English accent. According to him, the training period would not have been paid, making the offer commercially impractical.

The actor admitted that he did not feel strongly enough about the opportunity to spend several months working only on his accent without any financial compensation. He said that while acting has always been his passion, the arrangement did not make sense from a professional point of view.

Fahadh also revealed that he had a video call with Alejandro G. Iñárritu during the casting process. Looking back, he believes the director may have realised during that conversation that he was not the right choice for the role.

Despite missing out on the project, Fahadh said he has no regrets. He believes that the most meaningful moments of his acting career have come through Malayalam cinema, where he has established himself as one of the industry's finest performers.

His comments reflected his satisfaction with the choices he has made throughout his career. Rather than focusing on opportunities that did not work out, he said he remains grateful for the success and recognition he has received in Indian cinema.

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Fans speculate about Digger

Although Fahadh never mentioned the name of the Hollywood film during the interview, his remarks have attracted fresh attention after the release of the trailer for Digger.

The film is directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu and features an impressive cast that includes Tom Cruise, Riz Ahmed, Jesse Plemons, Sandra Hüller and John Goodman. It is scheduled to release in cinemas in October 2026.

Because Riz Ahmed is part of the final cast, many fans on social media have wondered whether he eventually received the role for which Fahadh had auditioned. However, this remains only a fan theory.

Neither Fahadh Faasil, Alejandro G. Iñárritu nor the makers of Digger have confirmed that the film discussed in the interview is the same project now being released. Similarly, there has been no official statement suggesting that Riz Ahmed replaced Fahadh in the cast.

Without confirmation from the actor or the filmmakers, it is not possible to conclude that Fahadh rejected the role eventually played by Riz Ahmed.

Meanwhile, Fahadh is busy preparing for the release of his next Malayalam film, Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira, directed by Althaf Salim. The romantic comedy stars Kalyani Priyadarshan opposite Fahadh and is scheduled to hit theatres on August 29 during the Onam festival season.

The film has been produced by Ashiq Usman and also features Vinay Forrt, Revathy Pillai, Lal, Suresh Krishna and Lakshmi Gopalaswamy in important roles. It is expected to face strong competition at the box office from Mohanlal's Hridayapoorvam and Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, starring Naslen and Kalyani Priyadarshan.

While the speculation surrounding Digger continues to generate interest online, the only confirmed facts are Fahadh's explanation about declining a Hollywood opportunity due to the long, unpaid accent training and the absence of any official confirmation linking that project to Digger or to Riz Ahmed's role in the film.