Fahadh Faasil reveals missed chance to work with Oscar-winning director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

Malayalam cinema’s acclaimed actor Fahadh Faasil has revealed that he once came close to working with celebrated Mexican filmmaker Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, known worldwide for masterpieces such as Birdman and The Revenant.

Speaking in a candid conversation with film critic Maneesh Narayanan for The Cue Studio, Fahadh recalled how the opportunity came his way but eventually slipped out of reach.

The discussion arose while talking about his process of selecting projects and balancing work between Malayalam cinema and other industries.

When asked about the experience, Fahadh light-heartedly remarked, “He didn’t like me, and I got rejected after the auditions.” He then explained more seriously that it was not a rejection in the traditional sense but rather an issue with his accent.

According to Fahadh, Inarritu had asked him to spend three to four months in the United States working on his accent before the project. However, the actor decided against it.

“There was no payment involved, and commercially it didn’t make sense. I didn’t feel enough fire in me to put in that much effort just for the accent,” he admitted.

The actor also recalled a video call he had with the director, suggesting that Inarritu might have quickly realised he wasn’t the right fit for the role. Reflecting on the experience, Fahadh added, “All the magic in my career has happened through Malayalam cinema.”

Meanwhile, Fahadh is gearing up for the release of his much-awaited film Odum Kuthira Chaadum Kuthira (OKCK), directed by Althaf Salim and co-starring Kalyani Priyadarshan. Produced by Ashiq Usman, the quirky romantic comedy will release on August 29 as a key Onam attraction, featuring an ensemble cast including Vinay Forrt, Revathy Pillai, Lal, and Lakshmi Gopalaswamy.