What happens when Alfred Hitchcock meets Yash Chopra? Well, a thriller love story – Merry Christmas…
Plot
Set in Bombay (now Mumbai), Albert (Vijay Sethupathi) returns to the Maximum City on a Christmas Eve. While attempting to kill his loneliness in a restaurant, he meets Maria (Katrina Kaif), who was abandoned by her date because she brought her daughter along. This is soon followed by a movie outing (probably watching ‘The Adventures of Pinocchio’), after which Maria befriends Albert and invites her over to her place. One thing leads to another, and these strangers are trapped in a thrilling night of adventure, riks, and desire. Maybe that’s why in the film, and even in the trailer, director Sriram Raghavan highlights on screen – ‘Check your belongings before leaving cinema.’ Maybe, that was for Albert. Based on Frédéric Dard’s Le Monte-charge, watch Merry Christmas to know why I say that…
What’s Hot?
In the last few years, I have felt the importance of music has experienced a descending order in cinema, and the significance of background music has been left even far behind. But not for Sriram Raghavan. In all his films, BGM has played an important character, not only for enhancing the impact of the narrative, but also for taking it forward, and the same reflects in Merry Christmas as well. The hero element according to me, and kudos to Daniel B. George for a memorable background score in this thriller love story, showcasing his musical versatility in riveting and in romantic sequences.
Lights and the darkness have been beautifully used to express emotions and occasions, especially in the cinema hall sequence, and at Maria’s home where the light of the Christmas tree is switched on first, and is then followed by the overall lights of the living room, thus emphasizing on the mood and occasion around which the movie is set.
Further lending an important technical support to the overall visuals of Merry Christmas is production designer Mayur Sharma and cinematographer Madhu Neelakandan (ISC), who have impeccably recreated and presented the yesteryear Mumbai, and its homes highlighting the milieu of the characters. My favorite sequence is Maria and Albert shaking a leg in her living room, with the teal coloured floral wallpapers beautifully combined with red curtains in the background, and Neelakandan’s wide shot, that does complete justice to the scene, actor’s performances, and the background that has its own story.
Another important element for a film, set in a different time zone than today are the costumes, and Anaita Shroff Adajania and Sabina Haldar have done complete justice to that aspect.
Goes without saying that all of this has been ably brought together by master storyteller Sriram Raghavan, and his team of writers Arjit Biswas, Pooja Ladha Surti and Anukriti Pandey. The smooth screenplay, combined with subtle yet humorous dialogues, Vijay’s matter-of-fact delivery of some really funny lines, Katrina’s mysterious play of her character, and Sriram’s direction, makes Merry Christmas a delectable watch.
What’s Not?
There are two important elements of a film, where I felt Merry Christmas underplays itself – which is the interval block and the climax of the film. The interval came in too early with a rather lukewarm sequence preceding it, and the climax – well, it was just underwhelming – as a diehard Sriram Raghavan fan I was expecting a little more. I reiterate, the sequences aren’t bad, they probably just don’t satiate your expectations. I believe this is the only aspect that might not work in the favour of the film.
Performances
One of the hardest things to do as an actor, is to portray subtle emotions while retaining the mystery in extremely emotionally (happy and sad) charged sequences in a suspenseful film, and Katrina Kaif portrays that beautifully in Merry Christmas. Truly a delightful performance.
Vijay Sethupathi is a gifted actor, and probably is the best example of controlled acting. He doesn’t go wrong even in one sequence, and lifts up so many by just saying his lines, or that’s what it seems like – effortless.
Tinnu Raaj Anand and Sanjay Kapoor have aced their parts, and so have Raghavan’s regulars in his movies – Vinay Pathak, Radhika Apte and Ashwini Kalsekar.
Final Verdict
Sriram Raghavan’s Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi led Merry Christmas has thrill and love at almost the right places. It isn’t perfect, but then what is. Go watch the film.
I would have given the film three stars, but I am adding another half just for the electrifying background score.
