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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Director Sriram Raghavan described Merry Christmas as a deliberately paced thriller that opens like a romance before turning into a “wild ride.” In a December 2023 interview, he also explained why he made Hindi and Tamil versions, how he approached the lead pairing of Vijay Sethupathi and Katrina Kaif, and why he wanted the film’s world to look almost unreal.
How Raghavan described Merry Christmas
The film brings together two strangers whose paths cross on Christmas Eve in Mumbai. The Scroll interview presents a story involving deception, intrigue and murder, but Raghavan emphasized its gradual shift in tone rather than giving away plot details.
“It has a slow-burn beginning that gradually becomes a wild ride,” he told Nandini Ramnath. He also called the film quieter than Andhadhun: “After Andhadhun, I didn’t want to do the twist-and-turns thing again. Merry Christmas is quieter.”
That measured opening was a deliberate choice, and one whose reception he was unsure about. “I am curious about how people will react, and whether they will accept the pace,” he said. The interview captures his expectation and curiosity before the film’s planned January 12 release; it is not a report on how audiences ultimately responded.
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Why the film has Hindi and Tamil versions
Raghavan said making a Tamil film was a personal aspiration. After casting Tamil actor Vijay Sethupathi, he considered making the film in Tamil and later remaking it in Hindi. Because production was taking place during Covid, he instead decided to make two versions, reasoning that two films could help amortise the production cost.
The versions kept Sethupathi and Kaif in the leads but used different supporting casts. The interview lists these performers:
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| Version | Supporting cast named in the interview |
|---|---|
| Hindi | Sanjay Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Pratima Kazmi and Radhika Apte |
| Tamil | Radikaa Sarathkumar, Kavin Jay Basu and Shanmugarajan |
Kaif was dubbed for the Tamil version. Raghavan said the team devised dialogue-like gibberish for her to speak, with lip movements resembling the Tamil dialogue. The interview describes a production solution; it does not compare the versions’ quality or establish that one is preferable.
What Raghavan said about the lead pairing
Raghavan said Kaif was interested in a role outside her comfort zone. He recalled meeting Sethupathi in Melbourne and asking if he spoke Hindi. In the interview, he described Sethupathi as full of stories and able to offer a different point of view when scenes were narrated.
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He characterized Sethupathi as intuitive and Kaif as extremely prepared, and said their interaction grew during the film. Those are the director’s impressions of working with the actors, not objective measures of their methods.
Why the film looks like a greeting card
Raghavan described the visual style as “almost not like a real movie – it’s a greeting card kind of thing.” He connected that stylisation to his broader view of filmmaking: “Realism is too scary a word. Cinema itself is unreal.” In his account, a heightened look or mood can help a story stand out; the interview does not present the appearance as an attempt at documentary realism.
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- 'Tis the night before Christmas and the Muppet Theater is in danger of being torn down.
- When bad goes to worse, Kermit begins to believe that the world would be a better place if he had never been born.
- With heavenly help and hilarious send-ups of just about every holiday movie ever made, Kermit and the Muppets discover what matters most is their love for each other.
- Featuring a celebrity cast including David Arquette, Joan Cusack and Whoopi Goldberg plus show-stopping musical numbers like 'Moulin Scrooge!',
- This heartwarming holiday classic will bring joy to the world every Christmas season!
What the interview says about the source novel
Raghavan said Merry Christmas was based on a French book named in the film’s titles, and described it as a thriller that was also about relationships. He declined to name it in the interview, so that conversation alone does not establish the title of the source novel.
He compared his reluctance to reveal it with Alfred Hitchcock’s effort to buy copies of Robert Bloch’s book before the release of Psycho. Raghavan said he had bought available copies of Bloch’s book to give to friends after Merry Christmas came out. Psycho is part of his analogy; the interview does not identify it as the source of Merry Christmas.
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The interview’s limits
Nandini Ramnath’s Scroll interview was published on December 25, 2023, ahead of the film’s planned January 12 release. It is a record of Raghavan’s comments about his intentions, production choices and collaborators—not an independent review or a current guide to where the film can be watched.
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