Tom Cruise‘s Digger has become one of the most talked-about Hollywood films after its first trailer dropped, with fans praising the actor’s dramatic transformation. Amid the excitement, an old interview of Fahadh Faasil has resurfaced online, revealing that the Malayalam star had once come close to working with Oscar-winning director Alejandro G Inarritu but eventually chose not to take up the opportunity.
Speaking to film critic Maneesh Narayanan for Cue Studio while promoting Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira (OKCK), Fahadh looked back on auditioning for one of Inarritu’s projects. When asked about exploring opportunities outside Indian cinema, the actor initially joked, ‘But he didn’t like me, and I got rejected after the auditions.’
It wasn’t exactly a rejection: Fahadh Faasil
He then went on to explain that things were not as straightforward as they appeared. According to Fahadh, the director was concerned about his accent and wanted him to spend several months in the United States working on it before filming could begin.
The actor said, ‘It wasn’t exactly that he rejected me, but he was concerned about my accent. I was asked to stay in America for three to four months to work on it, and no payment was involved. That is why I stepped away from it, because the commercial side of it did not make sense to me. I did not feel enough fire to put in that much effort just to work on my accent.’
Fahadh also recalled having a video call with the filmmaker and felt that Inarritu may have realised during the conversation that he was not the right fit for the part. Despite letting go of the project, the actor said he has never looked back, as he said, ‘All the magic in my career has happened through Malayalam cinema.’
Is Digger the film Fahadh auditioned for?
Fahadh did not reveal the name of the project during the interview. However, his comments have gained fresh attention after the trailer of Digger was unveiled. The film, directed by Alejandro G. Inarritu, stars Tom Cruise alongside Jesse Plemons, Sandra Hüller, Riz Ahmed and John Goodman. It is scheduled to release in October 2026.
Since Riz Ahmed is part of the final cast, many fans have speculated that he may have landed the role Fahadh originally auditioned for. That said, neither Fahadh nor the makers have confirmed whether Digger was indeed the film in question.
Fahadh gears up for his next release
Meanwhile, Fahadh is preparing for the release of Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira, directed by Althaf Salim. The romantic comedy, which also stars Kalyani Priyadarshan, is set to arrive in cinemas on August 29 during the Onam season.
Produced by Ashiq Usman, the film also features Vinay Forrt, Revathy Pillai, Lal, Suresh Krishna and Lakshmi Gopalaswamy in key roles. It is expected to face competition at the box office from Mohanlal’s Hridayapoorvam and Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, which stars Naslen and Kalyani Priyadarshan.
