Vijay Sethupathi is perfectly understated as Albert. A man who’s return to the city after many years isn’t quite what he thought it would be. He says Pinocchio is his favorite film, yet he is the most honest character in the story. Even his lies have noble intentions behind them. Him telling Maria “I’ll have anything fermented except dosa batter” when asked to come in for a drink is funny in the sardonic, smart-assy way Sethupathi is known to sardonically play smart assy characters. He enjoys the freedom he suddenly has, by claiming the city at night. Having a coffee on the street, watching a movie in a large theater, talking to a singer at a bar, eating a comically larger sizzling dish, bringing you along to each little adventure in a way only a gifted actor and their inquisitive eyes can.
Katrina too is understated. Maria isn't a particularly motherly figure, her attention wavers from her child a lot, but that’s perhaps because Maria didn’t WANT to be a mother. She wants what Albert now has, the freedom to be by herself. Katrina is understated and like her character keeps it together, rehearsed and on plan, right until the end.
Merry Christmas is a 2024 Indian mystery thriller film directed by Sriram Raghavan and starring Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi. It was filmed simultaneously in Hindi and Tamil. 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 (transl. Bird in a cage).
Two strangers meet on a fateful Christmas Eve. A night of delirious romance turns into a nightmare. Revealing anything more would be a crime.
