Why Fahadh Faasil rejected Tom Cruise’s Digger: ‘Stay in US for 4 months, but wouldn’t pay’

3 min readMumbaiJul 14, 2026 01:41 PM IST

Fahadh Faasil vied for the role, which was eventually bagged by Riz Ahmed.

The trailer for Tom Cruise’s upcoming satirical dark comedy Digger sparked widespread conversation online on Monday, not just for the Hollywood star’s dramatic transformation but also for the film’s intriguing supporting cast. Cruise is almost unrecognisable beneath heavy prosthetics, old-age makeup, a fake pot belly and thinning white hair styled into a comb-over as he plays Digger Rockwell. The film has been billed as “a comedy of catastrophic proportions.”

While Cruise’s makeover dominated much of the discussion, Riz Ahmed’s brief appearance in the trailer also caught viewers’ attention. Interestingly, the role was originally offered to Malayalam actor Fahadh Faasil, who eventually opted out of the project after being unable to clear the accent requirements.

‘I was told to go to the US’

Speaking about the missed opportunity last year, Fahadh revealed that director Alejandro G. Inarritu was unconvinced by his accent during the audition process. “To perfect the accent, I was told to go to the US and stay there for three or four months. But they weren’t ready to pay for that. That’s why I skipped it. Otherwise, I would have gone running. The commercial aspects of it wouldn’t have worked out. Also, to bother so much for an accent, I didn’t feel that kind of fire for it,” he shared during a conversation with Cue Studio.

The actor further reflected that things may have unfolded differently had there not been an audition. Recalling his virtual meeting with the filmmaker, Fahadh said, “I spoke to him on a video call. It might be during that conversation that he also realised, ‘Oh, this isn’t the guy I’m looking for.’ Such things happen. There have been many films I lost during such meetings. Also, all the magic in my life happened here in Malayalam. So, even in the future, if any new changes were to happen, I want them to come from Malayalam. I don’t think I will leave Kerala for that. If a project emerges that redefines me in some way, I want it to be in Malayalam.”

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‘Gave two auditions for Digger’

Meanwhile, comedian-actor Vir Das also revealed on Monday that he had auditioned twice for Digger before the part ultimately went to Riz Ahmed. Sharing his reaction after the trailer’s release, Das posted on X, before later deleting the post, “Gave two auditions for this. They went with Riz Ahmed. Was severely crestfallen, but that’s life. This script is insanity, in such a good way.”

About Digger

Digger follows Digger Rockwell (Tom Cruise), the world’s most powerful CEO, who sets out on a desperate mission to convince humanity that he is its saviour after his own actions trigger a catastrophic global disaster. The film is scheduled to release in theatres and IMAX on October 2.