"Thank you for your incredible work."
Academy Award-winning actor Riz Ahmed has responded to Indian actors Fahadh Faasil and Vir Das.
This came after Ahmed landed a role in Alejandro G. Inarritu’s upcoming film Digger.
The satirical dark comedy stars Tom Cruise alongside Ahmed in a key role.
Both Fahadh and Vir Das had auditioned for the same film before Ahmed was cast.
Ahmed was eventually cast in the role of Ganesh in the upcoming film.
In a recent interaction with SCREEN, Ahmed was asked about the two Indian actors.
He was asked what message he would like to give them after landing the part.
His response to the question was brief but came across as warm and sincere.
Ahmed said: “Sorry. Thank you for your incredible work, and I hope we get to work together.”
Both Fahadh and Vir Das had previously spoken publicly about their attempts to land the role.
Fahadh revealed that his audition process involved working extensively on his accent for the part.
In a conversation with Cue Studio, he spoke about the filmmaker’s reaction to his accent.
He said the filmmaker did not find his accent convincing enough for the role.
The actor was reportedly asked to travel to the US and stay there for a few months.
This trip was meant to help him perfect the accent required for the character.
However, the commercial aspects of this arrangement ultimately did not work out for him.
He said: “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.”
He further added: “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.”
Vir Das had also revealed that he auditioned for Digger on two separate occasions.
Following the release of the film’s trailer, he shared his disappointment on social media.
He wrote: “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.”
He later deleted this particular post from his social media account.
Ahmed will now be seen playing the character of Ganesh in the upcoming film.
This project marks his collaboration with filmmaker Alejandro G. Inarritu and actor Tom Cruise.
The film also features John Goodman, Sandra Huller, Michael Stuhlbarg and Jesse Plemons in key roles.
Digger follows a powerful oil tycoon, played by Cruise, at the centre of the plot.
The film is scheduled for an international release on September 30, 2026.
Its North American release will follow shortly after, on October 2, 2026.
For Riz Ahmed, this role comes after a diverse and accomplished career across different mediums.
