Merry Christmas Hindi Movie
"Merry Christmas" is an ironically happy title for a Sriram Raghavan thriller. For a good part of the first half, the movie gives us two lead characters who seem to lead a peaceful life. Vijay Sethupathi's Albert comes to the old Bombay city from Dubai, and he tells one character that he is an architect. He meets Katrina Kaif's Maria and her child at a restaurant, and the two decide to spend Christmas Eve together. The two break into a jig in one splendid scene, but soon we realize that not everything is OK in their lives as Raghavan starts to unravel the mysteries surrounding them.
There has to be a dead body in a Sriram Raghavan film. It has become a staple element in his filmography. When the body eventually turns up, we are almost at the intermission point. The body is that of a person who is very closely connected to Albert and Maria's lives. The movie is mostly about who put that body there and why.
Raghavan gives us plenty of plot elements that add up to the whole intrigue of the screenplay. We learn that one of the characters' marriage is a lie and that the other person suffers from a strange case of guilt complex. We also learn that another character has a thing for pretty women.
One of the best things about a Sriram Raghavan film is the sheer lack of phony suspense elements. Everything he introduces comes full circle, and nothing seems too shocking or beyond the realms of possibility. Raghavan does not cheat the audience. There are clever little asides and other elements that seem normal initially but pack deeper inner meanings. Take, for instance, Albert's dislike for Dosa batter and his origami skills, or Maria's orderliness and attention to detail. There is a delightful Santa reference, an old red phone, a "bird in a cage" object, and a man with a bad habit of forgetting his wallet. All of these elements come back with greater depth as the plot thickens the farther the film goes. It's just brilliant writing to create characters and plot elements with such depth.
The performances are also excellent throughout. It's just a joy to watch Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi together. Raghavan brings out the contrast between these two actors in such a delicate fashion that it's hard not to fall for them. Albert and Maria are two people in a big city with haunting pasts. Vijay's effortlessness and nonchalance suit Albert, and Katrina's hard-working nature as an actor makes her a perfect fit for Maria. A mother who runs a bakery shop, Maria is a stickler for detail. Notice how she serves whiskey and wine in the glasses meant for each. Katrina's efforts show in some of the film's emotional scenes, but her lip-syncing is good for a non-South Indian actor, and her body language conveys the deep sense of sorrow she feels. She is an ever-improving actor, and Merry Christmas is a solid entry into her filmography.
There is also a line-up of excellent supporting characters in Merry Christmas, like Radhika Sarathkumar, Radhika Apte, Kavin Jai Baby, and Ashwini Kalsekar, but the film is essentially about the characters of Vijay and Katrina. Props also to Madhu Neelakandan, whose framing of lights, shadows, and interiors leaves a lasting impact.
Now, this is not to say that Merry Christmas is a perfect film. The second half seems a bit of a stretch, as it goes a little bit too long even after the big reveal comes. The film sags in these portions, and the plot twists do not carry the same heft as in some of Sriram Raghavan's other films. Speaking of which, the best way to enjoy Merry Christmas is to flush out your memory of the rest of Raghavan's filmography and treat it as more of a drama than a suspense thriller. This may be a difficult thing to do, but the ride is worthwhile.
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