'Really looked up to him': Digger actor Riz Ahmed calls Irrfan Khan one of his real heroes

A still from Digger. Pic via YouTube

Riz Ahmed may have jokingly called his role in Prime Video's satirical series Bait an "official audition" for James Bond, but the actor has now landed another coveted part. In Alejandro Inarritu's upcoming satire Digger, Ahmed plays Ganesh, a scientist and key adviser to Tom Cruise's eccentric oil tycoon character, Digger Rockwell.

Riz Ahmed on Indian actors he wants to work with

The role had reportedly attracted interest from several Indian actors, including Malayalam star Fahadh Faasil and Vir Das. While Fahadh passed on the part after the filmmaker felt his accent did not fit the character, an Indian-American, Das auditioned twice but ultimately did not make the cut. When speaking to SCREEN, Ahmed had a simple message for the two actors, "Sorry. Thank you for your incredible work, and I hope we get to work together."

Ahmed's admiration for Indian talent extends well beyond the actors who auditioned for Digger. Having previously worked with Om Puri and Shabana Azmi in Mira Nair's The Reluctant Fundamentalist, the actor has several more names on his wish list.

Among them is late actor Irrfan Khan, whom Ahmed describes as "one of my real heroes". "I really looked up to him. He bridged different cultures with his work. He had such a depth and sensitivity to his work," he said. Irrfan passed away in 2020.

Ahmed also hopes to collaborate with Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The two have exchanged messages in the past, but have not yet found an opportunity to work together. "I'd really, really love to work with Nawazuddin Siddiqui. That'd be fantastic!" Ahmed said.

He also mentioned Huma Qureshi, calling her a friend and praising the career she has built. Qureshi and Ahmed previously appeared in Michael Winterbottom's Trishna, although she featured in a song while Ahmed played the lead.

Riz Ahmed on Digger and Tom Cruise

In Digger, Ahmed brings a grounded quality to Ganesh, even as the film surrounds him with exaggerated characters. His character's experience also touches on questions of identity and belonging, particularly when an American official questions where he is "really" from despite him being born in the US.

Ahmed, who was born in Britain and has Pakistani ancestry, connected the moment to his own experiences navigating Hollywood. He believes storytelling can help audiences move beyond such assumptions.

"Everyone leaves their baggage at the door, and gets lost inside the story," he said, adding that films such as Digger can be especially meaningful at a time when people feel increasingly divided.

Ahmed also had plenty to say about Tom Cruise, who is heavily transformed through prosthetics and accent for the role. Describing his co-star as radiating "intense positivity", Ahmed recalled his first impression of the Hollywood star, "Wow! There's really something about this guy." Digger is slated to release in cinemas on October 2.