Before Fahadh's ‘Digger’ audition, Iñárritu asked Dr Biju for an Indian actor

Thiruvananthapuram: National Award-winning filmmaker Dr Biju has revealed that Oscar-winning Mexican director Alejandro G. Iñárritu had approached him years ago for help in finding an Indian actor for his upcoming Hollywood film Digger, starring Tom Cruise.

The revelation came after the trailer of Digger was released. Sharing a screenshot of an email sent by Iñárritu on social media, Dr Biju said the director had contacted him on July 22, 2018, seeking recommendations for an Indian actor suited for a key role in the film.

According to Dr Biju, Iñárritu had requested that the conversation remain confidential, which is why he had never spoken about it until now. With the film completed and its trailer released, he felt it was the right time to share the experience.

In the email, Iñárritu said he was looking for an Indian actor aged between 40 and 60. He added that the actor did not necessarily have to be famous but should have a "real face" rather than an "actor face"- someone who could naturally command attention while speaking and effortlessly make people laugh. He also noted that several Indian actors previously recommended to him appeared "too soft" and did not resemble "real people."

Dr Biju said he suggested a few names, but none of them eventually became part of the project. He described it as an honour to have contributed, however briefly, to the film's early pre-production discussions.

In his Facebook post, the filmmaker also expressed gratitude for his long association with Iñárritu, calling him one of his all-time favourite directors. He said the Mexican filmmaker had considered him a friend for the past 15 years and described that friendship and mutual respect across cultures as one of the greatest gifts of his filmmaking journey. He wished Iñárritu and the entire Digger team success ahead of the film's release.

The role eventually went to British-Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed, who plays an Indian character named Ganesh in the film.

Earlier, Malayalam actor Fahadh Faasil had revealed in an interview that he had auditioned for the same project. He said Iñárritu wanted him to undergo several months of accent training in the United States, but the producers were unwilling to cover the expenses. As a result, he decided to step away from what he described as a major Hollywood opportunity.

Digger stars Tom Cruise, Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg and Jesse Plemons. The film is scheduled for a worldwide release on October 2.