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Merry Christmas (2024 film)

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Merry Christmas
Theatrical release poster
Directed bySriram Raghavan
Written by
  • Hindi Version:
  • Sriram Raghavan
  • Arijit Biswas
  • Tamojit Das
  • Pooja Ladha Surti
  • Anukriti Pandey
  • Tamil Version:
  • Pratheep Kumar S
  • Abdul Jabbar
  • Prasanna Bala Natarajan
  • Lata Karthikeyan
Based onLe Monte-charge
by Frédéric Dard[1]
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyMadhu Neelakandan
Edited byPooja Ladha Surti
Music by
  • Songs:
  • Pritam
  • Score:
  • Daniel B. George
Production
companies
Distributed byPen Marudhar Entertainment through UFO Moviez(Hindi)
Release date
  • 12 January 2024 (2024-01-12)
Running time
144 minutes[2]
CountryIndia
Languages
  • Hindi
  • Tamil
Budget₹60 crore[3][4]
Box office₹26.02 crore[5]

Merry Christmas is a 2024 Indian mystery thriller film directed by Sriram Raghavan and starring Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi. The film is produced by Ramesh Taurani, Jaya Taurani, Sanjay Routray and Kewal Garg under Tips Films and Matchbox Pictures. It is based on Frédéric Dard's French novel Le Monte-charge (Bird in a Cage).[1]

The film was officially announced in December 2021. Principal photography commenced the same month in Mumbai along with a sporadic schedule in Uttar Pradesh, which was again followed with a schedule in the former location, and wrapped by mid-January 2023. The film has music composed by Pritam, cinematography handled by Madhu Neelakandan and editing by Pooja Ladha Surti.

After several postponements, Merry Christmas was released in theaters on 12 January 2024. The film received positive reviews, with the performances of Kaif and Sethupathi receiving praise. Despite this, the film was a box office bomb.[3]

Plot

In 1980s Bombay, Albert Arogyasami returns home after seven years on Christmas Eve. He is shown to be grieving his mother's death, when his neighbour consoles him and gives him a bottle of wine which he had made himself. Later, the neighbor invites Albert to dinner, which Albert politely declines saying he wishes to go out. He goes to a restaurant, where he finds a man seemingly running away from his date. Later, he meets the man's date, Maria and her mute daughter, Annie. Albert is shown following Maria and Annie to a cinema hall. They talk for a while and Maria invites Albert to celebrate Christmas with her, and they bond over shared stories of loss and hardship.

When they return to Maria's apartment, they find her husband, Jerome, dead on the couch with a gun in his hand. Albert, who has just been released from prison for killing a woman named Rosie, tries to avoid the police, fearing suspicion. As the night unfolds, Albert realizes that Maria had created an elaborate alibi by staging events in a replica of her apartment. She later confesses to killing Jerome due to his abusive behavior and the possibility that he was abusing Annie.

Albert decides to help Maria by destroying evidence, but during the police investigation, Annie speaks for the first time, identifying Albert as "Santa." To protect Maria, Albert turns himself in for the murder, sacrificing his freedom to ensure Annie isn't left orphaned. The story ends with Albert proposing to Maria as he surrenders to the police.

Cast

As per the film's closing credits:[6]

Cast (Hindi) Cast (Tamil) Role (Hindi) Role (Tamil)
Vijay Sethupathi Albert Arogyasami
Katrina Kaif Maria
Ashwini Kalsekar Scarlett, Ronnie's Wife
Luke Kenny Jerome, Maria's husband
Pari Maheshwari Sharma Annie, Maria's daughter
Sanjay Kapoor Kavin Jay Babu Ronnie Fernandes
Vinay Pathak Shanmugarajan Police Inspector Paresh Kamdar Police Inspector S. Devaraj
Pratima Kazmi Radhika Sarathkumar Police Constable Laxmi P.
Tinnu Anand Rajesh "Yadhoom" Uncle
Radhika Apte Rosie (cameo)
Gayathrie Singer (cameo)
Sahil Vaid Maria's date (cameo)

Production

Development

In January 2021, it was reported that director Sriram Raghavan had put his directorial venture Ekkis, starring Varun Dhawan, on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic and began working on a new project, which he reportedly approached Hindi actress Katrina Kaif and Saif Ali Khan to play the lead roles.[7] Although Khan okayed the script, he was replaced by Tamil actor Vijay Sethupathi since the film required a fresh pairing.[7][8] The film's launch was reported to be made in April, however, due to the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic and Kaif testing positive for COVID-19, the launch was delayed.[9] On 25 December, the film was officially announced with Ramesh Taurani and Sanjay Routray as producers.[10] The title "Merry Christmas" was suggested by Dinesh Vijan, when the director considered titles containing the word "raat" (night) such as Raat Akeli Hai, Raat Ke Hamsafar and Baat Ek Raat Ki.[11]

Casting

Director Sriram Raghavan initially approached Saif Ali Khan for the role of Albert, since they had worked together in Ek Hasina Thi and Agent Vinod. Khan liked the subject of the movie and accepted the role, but later, the director changed his mind and selected Vijay Sethupathi for the lead role of Albert, thinking that Khan would not be the right fit for the role.[12][13]

Producer Ramesh, while speaking to ETimes, said "Vijay suited the role perfectly so we approached him for this film." and "Katrina was always our only choice for the role right from the beginning."[14] In early March 2022, Sanjay Kapoor was announced to play an important role in the Hindi version of the film.[15] In April, Radhika Sarathkumar was also announced being a part of the cast of the Tamil version.[16] Vinay Pathak was announced as a part of the cast of the Hindi version in August. He was further more said to be playing a key role in the film.[17] Shanmugarajan reprises Vinay Pathak's role in the Tamil version.[18] In July 2023, Ashwini Kalsekar and Radhika Apte were announced to be playing a cameo in the film.[19]

Filming

The principal photography began on 25 December 2021, with the first schedule in Mumbai.[20] The shooting was put on hold in early January 2022, due to rising of COVID-cases.[21] The shooting started again in early February in Filmistan Studio in Mumbai.[22] Sanjay started filming his portions in March.[15] Katrina continued filming her portions on 11 March.[23] The first schedule concluded in March.The second schedule commenced on 19 March in a studio in Chitrakoot. The schedule was said to be 45-days long.[24]

Raadhika Sarathkumar started filming her portions in April.[16] Due to an fire incident in the district in August, the schedule was moved to a studio in Vrindavan.[17] The second schedule finished in November. In the third schedule, which commenced in November in Mumbai, pictures of Katrina, Sethupathi and Kapoor from the sets were released on social media's by paparazzi's.[25] Further more pictures were taken few more days after the former.[26] The principal photography wrapped in January 2023, with an official confirmation on Sethupathi's birthday.[27]

Post-production

Raghavan started the post-production works in mid November 2022, as the filming was in the last schedule.[26] Raghavan, in May 2023, revealed that the film is a bilingual film, meaning that it was simultaneously shot in Hindi and Tamil languages.[18] The film marks Raghavan's and Kaif's debut in Tamil cinema. Each version will reportedly have a different set of co-actors.[28] Deepa Venkat dubbed for Katrina's character in the Tamil version of the film.[citation needed]

Music

Merry Christmas
Soundtrack album by
Pritam
Released24 January 2024
Recorded2021–22
GenreFeature film soundtrack
Length14:36 (All Versions)
Language
  • Hindi
  • Telugu
  • Tamil
LabelTips Music
Pritam chronology
Dunki
(2023) 		Merry Christmas
(2024) 		Chandu Champion
(2024)

The music is composed by Pritam, marking his Tamil debut.[29] The audio rights were acquired by Tips Music.[30] The first single titled "Merry Christmas Title Track" was released on 25 December 2023. The second single titled "Nazar Teri Toofan" was released on 4 January 2024.[31] The third single titled "Raat Akeli Thi" was released on 10 January 2024.[32]

All lyrics are written by Varun Grover

Hindi
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Merry Christmas - Title Track"Ash King2:32
2."Nazar Teri Toofan"Papon4:03
3."Raat Akeli Thi"Arijit Singh, Antara Mitra4:24
4."Dil Ki Mez"Shalmali Kholgade3:37
Total length:14:36

All lyrics are written by Yugabharathi

Tamil
No.TitleSinger(s)Length
1."Merry Christmas - Title Track"Benny Dayal2:32
2."Anbe Vidai"Sreerama Chandra4:03
3."Kanadha Kadal"Karthik, Anusha Mani4:24
4."Neela Ravile"Jonita Gandhi3:37
Total length:14:36

Release

Theatrical

Merry Christmas was initially set to release in cinemas on 23 December 2022, but got delayed due to production delays.[33] Then it was planned for a December 2023 release, before being rescheduled to 12 January 2024.[34]

Home media

The streaming rights were bought by Netflix for ₹60 crore (US$7.2 million)[35][3] and premiered on 8 March 2024.[36]

Reception

Critical response

A picture of Katrina Kaif
A picture of Vijay Sethupathi
Critics praised the performances of Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi.

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 85% of 20 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.5/10.[37]

In Film Companion, Rahul Desai described the film as "exceptional and remarkably moving… a sublime deconstruction of the romantic thriller" and highlighted the "self-contained" chemistry between Kaif and Sethupathi. He praised the duo's performances and especially singled out Kaif for giving "a performance within a performance", in which she "nails the ambiguity of a mother disguised as a woman".[38] Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave 3.5 stars out of 5 and hailed the film as "a delightfully inventive cinematic ride that employs a very 1980s Hindi cinema soundscape and an evocative and transportive colour palette". He liked the contrast between Kaif and Sethupathi and opined that the former gave "one of most convincing screen performances of her career, portraying confusion and vulnerability cloaked in occasional flashes of steely determination".[1] Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave 3 stars out of 5 and felt that "Despite their unusual pairing, Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi manage to work together, as she once more demonstrates her acting prowess behind all the pancake and bump-and-grind.[39] Monika Rawal Kukreja of Hindustan Times said that "You won't jump out of this Vijay Sethupathi and Katrina Kaif film when it comes to any major surprise or the conclusion, but you will enjoy excellent cinematography clever writing and an interesting movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Even if you only see it once, Sriram Raghavan's cinematic universe is worth watching.[40][41]

Anuj Kumar of The Hindu called the movie "a sumptuous slice of crime" and said, "In this noirish story of a long night, Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi make a surprising duo that works well together. The story's crux is more interesting than the conclusion."[42] Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com gave 4 stars out of 5 and praised the performance and direction, she wrote "You'll be sighing in Merry Christmas as you've never sighed in a Sriram Raghavan film before thanks to its amazing climax."[43] Lachmi Deb Roy of Firstpost wrote in her review that "The movie is guaranteed to bring back fond memories for everyone who loves Bombay, particularly for those who adore the Regal theatre, Colaba's alleyways, and the ancient, architecturally stunning homes. The leisurely pacing of the film adds to its allure. Undoubtedly, a Merry Christmas is a unique experience."[44] Giving the film 4 stars, Devesh Sharma of Filmfare summarised it as "a dark comedy that will make you smile and scratch your head at the same time... a noir that showcases the triumph of human spirit and compassion". He further praised Sethupathi for delivering "another solid performance" and Kaif for showing "she can stand and deliver... in perhaps, her first full-fledged dramatic role".[45]

References

  1. ^ a b c Chatterjee, Saibal (12 January 2024). "Merry Christmas Review: Katrina Kaif-Vijay Sethupathi Thriller Bewitches Even When It Baffles". NDTV. Archived from the original on 12 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Merry Christmas (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. 11 January 2024. Archived from the original on 11 January 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Merry Christmas Box Office Collection Day 4: Vijay's movie collects 10 cr". Business Standard. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  4. ^ "Merry Christmas Cast Salary: Here's How Much Katrina Kaif-Vijay Sethupathi Charged For The Film". Lehren. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Merry Christmas Box Office". Bollywood Hungama. 11 March 2024. Archived from the original on 13 January 2024. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
  6. ^ M. M. Vetticad, Anna (15 January 2024). "REVIEW 790: MERRY CHRISTMAS". Archived from the original on 16 March 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2024. Sethupathi's comes first in the closing scroll
  7. ^ a b "Not Vijay Sethupathi but THIS actor was the first choice for Sriram Raghavan's Merry Christmas". www.indiatvnews.com. 29 December 2023.
  8. ^ "Katrina Kaif signs Sriram Raghavan's next opposite Vijay Sethupathi". The Times of India. 11 January 2021. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 14 January 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  9. ^ "Vijay Sethupathi & Katrina Kaif's Merry Christmas postponed". The Times of India. 27 April 2021. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  10. ^ "'Merry Christmas': Katrina Kaif teams up with Sriram Raghavan and Vijay Sethupathi for her next project". The Times of India. 25 December 2021. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  11. ^ "'Both Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi have elevated the writing with their performances in Merry Christmas' - Sriram Raghavan- Exclusive!". The Times of India. 12 January 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 12 January 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  12. ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Sriram Raghavan clarifies he didn't reject Saif Ali Khan for Merry Christmas though the actor was upset: "He had liked the subject" : Bollywood News - Bollywood Hungama". 10 January 2024. Archived from the original on 6 February 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  13. ^ "Saif Ali Khan wasn't happy about being dumped from Merry Christmas, but Sriram Raghavan was sure he'd 'made a mistake' by casting him". The Indian Express. 10 January 2024. Archived from the original on 3 February 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  14. ^ "Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi were the only choice for 'Merry Christmas', says producer Ramesh Taurani". The Times of India. 6 March 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  15. ^ a b "Sanjay Kapoor roped in for Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi starrer 'Merry Christmas'". The Times of India. 2 March 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  16. ^ a b "Radikaa Sarathkumar shoots with Katrina Kaif for their Hindi film". The Times of India. 21 April 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  17. ^ a b "Katrina Kaif's Merry Christmas moves shoot from Chitrakoot to Vrindavan studios - Exclusive". The Times of India. 7 August 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  18. ^ a b "Sriram Raghavan spills the beans on Vijay Sethupathi and Katrina Kaif's 'Merry Christmas'; says 'it is a love story'". The Times of India. 4 May 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  19. ^ "Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi starrer 'Merry Christmas' to release on December 15, 2023 - See poster". The Times of India. 17 July 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  20. ^ "Vijay Sethupathi & Katrina Kaif start shooting for Merry Christmas!". The Times of India. 25 December 2021. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  21. ^ "Shooting of Katrina Kaif's 'Merry Christmas' with Vijay Sethupathi in Delhi cancelled amid rising COVID cases – Details inside". The Times of India. 5 January 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  22. ^ "Katrina Kaif to shoot 'Merry Christmas' in Mumbai next month – Exclusive!". The Times of India. 14 January 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  23. ^ "Katrina Kaif starts shooting for 'Merry Christmas' co-starring Vijay Sethupathi; Shares a picture from the sets". The Times of India. 11 March 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  24. ^ "Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi kick-start the second schedule of 'Merry Christmas' in Mumbai: Reports". The Times of India. 19 March 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  25. ^ "ETimes Exclusive! Katrina Kaif shoots late at night for 'Merry Christmas' with Vijay Sethupathi and Sanjay Kapoor". The Times of India. 13 November 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  26. ^ a b "Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi ride around South Mumbai in a taxi for 'Merry Christmas' shoot - Photos inside". The Times of India. 24 November 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  27. ^ "On Vijay Sethupathi's birthday, team Merry Christmas, Sanjay Kapoor and others announce a wrap". The Times of India. 16 January 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  28. ^ Hungama, Bollywood (14 August 2023). "Merry Christmas: Here's why the makers of Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi starrer unveiled different posters for Tamil and Hindi : Bollywood News - Bollywood Hungama". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
  29. ^ Hungama, Bollywood (15 December 2023). "Merry Christmas Cast List | Merry Christmas Movie Star Cast | Release Date | Movie Trailer | Review- Bollywood Hungama". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 12 October 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  30. ^ "Vijay Sethupathi and Katrina Kaif's 'Merry Christmas' is already looking wicked good". Vogue India. 17 July 2023. Archived from the original on 30 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  31. ^ "Makers of Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi starrer Merry Christmas release heartfelt song 'Nazar Teri Toofan'". Bollywood Hungama. 4 January 2024. Archived from the original on 4 January 2024. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  32. ^ "Raat Akeli Thi: Katrina-Vijay spark romance in 'Merry Christmas' song". The Statesman. 10 January 2024. Archived from the original on 11 January 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  33. ^ "Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi starrer 'Merry Christmas' release date postponed; Here's why". The Times of India. 29 October 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  34. ^ "Katrina Kaif – Vijay Sethupathi starrer Merry Christmas pre-proponed to December 8, 2023; averts clash with Sidharth Malhotra starrer Yodha". Bollywood Hungama. 3 October 2023. Archived from the original on 3 October 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  35. ^ "Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi's 'Merry Christmas' streaming rights sold for over Rs 60 crore: Report". The Times of India. 25 July 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  36. ^ "Merry Christmas starring Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi set for Netflix premiere on March 8, 2024". Bollywood Hungama. 7 March 2024. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  37. ^ "Merry Christmas". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  38. ^ Desai, Rahul (12 January 2024). "Merry Christmas Review: Sriram Raghavan's Film is Exceptional, and Remarkably Moving". Film Companion. Archived from the original on 12 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  39. ^ Gupta, Shubhra (12 January 2024). "Merry Christmas movie review: Terrific Katrina Kaif, Vijay Sethupathi deliver a solid start to the new year". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 12 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  40. ^ Kukreja, Monika Rawal (12 January 2024). "Merry Christmas movie review: Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi sparkle in a Sriram Raghavan world". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 12 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  41. ^ K.H, Team (16 March 2024). "मेरी क्रिसमस मूवी रिव्यु : उच्च माध्यमिक स्तर के नाटक मानकों तक भी, कटरीना कैफ और विजय सेठुपति की प्रस्तुतियों में कमी". Archived from the original on 16 March 2024. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  42. ^ Kumar, Anuj (12 January 2024). "'Merry Christmas' movie review: Sriram Raghavan delivers a sumptuous slice of crime thanks to a fabulous Vijay Sethupathi". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 12 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  43. ^ Sukanya, Verma (12 January 2024). "Merry Christmas Review: Ho, Ho, Whoa!". rediff.com. Archived from the original on 12 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  44. ^ Roy, Lachmi Deb (12 January 2024). "Vijay Sethupathi & Katrina Kaif's Merry Christmas Movie Review: Cleverly made dark comedy". Firstpost. Archived from the original on 12 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  45. ^ "Merry Christmas Movie Review". Filmfare. Archived from the original on 13 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
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