Riz Ahmed who plays Changez in the film The Reluctant Fundamentalist admits to “stalking the project”. Talking over phone, the British Pakistani rapper says, “As soon as I read the book, I was like, I love this book. I found out the publisher and I was like, can I have the film rights. I couldn’t get an audition for it as I hadn’t done many romantic roles. Mira was like I don’t know I need a romantic lead…I had given up all hope until I got the last minute call to go and see her and we clicked.”
Riz describes adapting the book as a “five-year journey. It is a tricky situation. A book is different, it excites the imagination. A movie puts your head in a slightly different place.”
The actor says there were many memorable moments during filming. “It was a physically demanding role. It was amazing and intense. It was like a roller coaster, shooting in four different cities. There is such a different vibe in each one of them. The shoot took three months.”
Future projects for the 30-year-old include “ Close Circuit , a thriller directed by John Crowley. The film has Rebecca Hall in it.” Riz is open to Bollywood films. “I would like to work in a Hindi film as they resonate,” he says.
