Hollywood casting stories rarely end when an actor walks away from a part. Sometimes, the circumstances surrounding the casting reveal as much about a project as the finished film itself. Alejandro G Iñárritu's Digger happens to have one such story, with the role of an Indian scientist passing through the hands of two Indian actors before eventually finding its way to Riz Ahmed.
The film has already attracted attention for its unusual combination of Iñárritu's filmmaking, Tom Cruise's transformation into an ageing oil tycoon and a story that takes aim at power, wealth and environmental destruction. Iñárritu has described the film as a satirical look at a world where reality itself increasingly feels performative, while Cruise plays Digger Rockwell, a billionaire whose actions trigger a global catastrophe.
Ahmed, who plays Mumbai-born scientist Ganesh, was recently asked about the two Indian actors who had been connected to the part before him. Rather than dwelling on the casting process, the Oscar-nominated actor kept his response simple. “Sorry. Thank you for your incredible work, and I hope we get to work together,” he said of Fahadh Faasil and Vir Das in an interview with SCREEN.
The two actors had very different experiences with the film. Fahadh had been in discussions with Iñárritu but eventually decided not to proceed, while Das went through two rounds of auditions before the filmmakers settled on Ahmed. Their stories offer a glimpse into the practical challenges that can come with pursuing a Hollywood production from India.
Fahadh had previously explained that the filmmaker was not convinced by his accent during their discussions. He was asked to spend three or four months in the US to work on it, but the financial arrangements did not make sense to him. Fahadh said he might have pursued the opportunity under different circumstances, but ultimately did not feel strongly enough about spending that much time away simply to work on the accent.
His comments also suggested that he did not regard the episode as a straightforward rejection. Fahadh recalled that he had spoken to Iñárritu over a video call and acknowledged that the director may have realised during that conversation that he was not the right fit. He added that losing projects in this manner was not new to him and said he remained more interested in opportunities that could redefine him within Malayalam cinema.
Das, meanwhile, actually made it through the audition process twice. After seeing the trailer and realising that Ahmed had secured the part, he revealed on X that he had been “severely crestfallen”, while simultaneously praising the script. Although the post was later deleted, screenshots of it circulated online and drew attention to the unusual casting journey behind the film.
For Ahmed, the role comes at an interesting point in his international career. The British-Pakistani actor has moved between independent cinema, Hollywood productions and music, earning an Academy Award nomination for Sound of Metal and later winning an Oscar as a producer for The Long Goodbye. His casting as Ganesh now places him opposite Cruise in one of Iñárritu's most unusual projects.
The film's ensemble also includes John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg and Jesse Plemons. Cruise plays Rockwell, an oil magnate who attempts to convince the world that he can become its saviour after unleashing a disaster of his own making. Digger is scheduled to release internationally on September 30, followed by its North American theatrical release on October 2.