It is not every day that actors get the opportunity to step away from their own films and simply celebrate the craft of another actor. But when they do, it often offers a glimpse into what truly inspires them as performers. Recently, actress Sheena Chohan caught up with veteran actor Anil Kapoor at a screening of Tom Cruise’s Digger, and the two came together to share their appreciation for the film and its lead performance.
The moment brought together two generations of Indian actors who have, in their own ways, carved out remarkable journeys in cinema, with both Sheena and Anil taking a moment to appreciate Tom Cruise’s work rather than simply discussing their own projects.
Anil Kapoor, who shares a connection with the Mission: Impossible franchise through his appearance in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, was equally enthusiastic about the film. Sharing his reaction, the actor said, “We all have loved the film and it’s insane, it’s brilliant, it deserves an Oscar.”
Sheena Chohan, meanwhile, was particularly blown away by the unexpected mix of drama, comedy leading to an authentic story idea in Digger. Sharing her thoughts, she said, “Bang, Bang, Bang, Digger was a wild, non stop ride of drama and comedy with unexpected twists and turns. What I loved most about Digger was Tom Cruise’s character — the sheer intensity, restraint and humanity he brings to the role. As an actor, he has this extraordinary ability to make you forget you’re watching a star and simply make you feel the character. It dealt with such an important subject, of climate change. An Extraordinary, Original Cinematic Experience
For Sheena, the appreciation also comes from an actor’s perspective. Her response highlights not just the scale of a global star like Cruise, but the ability of an actor to disappear into a character despite the enormous stardom surrounding them.
Interestingly, Sheena’s connection with Tom Cruise goes back years. Cruise had personally invited her to the Mumbai premiere of Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol in 2011, the film in which Anil Kapoor also starred. Their coming together years later at a screening of Digger therefore makes the moment an interesting full-circle connection to Hollywood and Indian cinema.
While Anil Kapoor continues to move between theatrical and streaming projects, with Subedaar and the upcoming streaming series Family Business among his recent and upcoming work, Sheena Chohan has also been building an eclectic slate of projects. She was last seen on the big screen in the religious hindi biopic Sant Tukaram and will next be seen in the dark pan Indian, Telugu thriller Jatasya Maranam Dhruvam.
For an actor, appreciating another performer’s work is perhaps one of the purest ways of celebrating cinema. And Sheena Chohan’s reaction to Digger, alongside Anil Kapoor’s emphatic “it deserves an Oscar,” shows exactly that — two actors putting their own journeys aside for a moment to simply applaud the work of another.
