"An Indian film about a farmer in the hinterland can’t cast Tom Cruise": Ali Fazal on Bagging another Hollywood film

Even as he is awaiting the release of his mammoth international movie Kenneth Branagh’s Death On The Nile this month alongside a sublime cast comprising Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer amongst others.

India’s latest export to the West - Ali Fazal has bagged the lead role in the prestige project Codename: Johnny Walker. The war drama is based on New York Times bestseller by the same name and is co-written by American Sniper co-writer Jim Delfice.

A quick search will inform you that Codename: Johnny Walker which is written by Alan Wenkus former writer of famed chat series - The Tonight Show and Straight Outta Compton, for which he got an Academy Nomination too. The writing of the film has been in the works since September 2015.

Fazal, currently in the midst of promoting his show Mirzapur, in a chat with GQ Magazine of which is the cover star of the month spoke about his latest project.

Once the pandemic permits, Fazal will be in an LA studio shooting for the lead role in the film.

Fazal is quoted saying in the magazine, “People [in the West] are now more open to writing parts that can have actors cast from across the canvas,” mentioning British writer, rapper and actor Riz Ahmed. “This is very hard to do because you have to get geography out of your head. Naturally, not all movies can do that – an Indian film about a farmer in the hinterland can’t cast Tom Cruise.”