Sometimes, I start watching a film for lack of a better option. There are zero expectations, hardly any excitement and just a tingle of curiosity on seeing a familiar face. Merry Christmas is one of those films for me. The curiosity grew just a tiny bit when I started wondering about the unusual pairing of glam-doll Katrina Kaif with Tamil superstar Vijay Sethupathi. I decided to nibble on this for a bit.
I was in for a huge surprise. This 2024 Indian neo-noir mystery thriller film directed by Sriram Raghavan [Andhadhun 2018] and produced by Ramesh Taurani, Jaya Taurani, Sanjay Routray and Kewal Garg turned out to be an unforgettable watch, a film that will stay with me for-almost-ever.
If noir is your poison, and you get hooked to a European vibe, rich art, cynical characters, stark lighting effects, flashbacks and complex plots with an existentialist philosophy running in the backdrop, this is your film.
Based on Frédéric Dard's French novel, Le Monte-charge [Bird in a Cage], Merry Christmas received positive reviews, but failed at the box office. I’m not surprised that it did because there is nothing flamboyant or over-the-top here— no brawny hero, no glammed-up bikini-clad heroine dancing in robotic synch with 200 dance extras, no VFX action and no gloss. What it does have is a gripping story, deep and intense characters, fabulous lines, sensitive nuances and unforgettable performances.
The film hit me with two huge realisations. One that Kaif can act, and second that actors from South [Sethupathi] are awesome.
Usually, in Bollywood, when mainstream actresses step above their song-dance-leading-lady routine and start eyeing a National Award, they are given meaty roles that have a huge margin to perform, and are supported by art, music, promotions, and big banners to be able to carve a niche for themselves as an actor who wants to show that she can do more than be someone to look pretty beside the almighty male lead.
For instance, Kareena Kapoor in Chameli, Alia Bhatt in Gangubai Kathiawadi and Kangana Ranaut in Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi. Often the roles are controversial or even outrageous and hence attract a lot of limelight.
Kaif who is better known for her stunning good looks, an accent that melts male desi hearts and as a powerhouse dancer, delivers her two-decade long career’s most convincing, fearless and confident performance as Maria in Merry Christmas. In a couple of simple frocks, casual hair and an odd smear of lipstick, sans skimpy skirts, glittery bralettes and poles to wrap herself around, her performance mostly remains under-stated, contained and low-key throughout the film as a vulnerable woman and a protective mother on her own who has to make some tough and fierce decisions. Not once does Kaif perform any less than her counterpart Sethupathi.
Many of us were introduced to Sethupathi in SRK’s Jawan as the baddie as negative roles in mega films are not only his forte but also his bread and butter. In Merry Christmas, Sethupathi is simply a delight to watch as he masters the character of Albert. With an incredible comic timing in some integrally important funny moments of the film, where Sethupathi delivers some of the funniest one-liners with a poker face, his performance too in most parts of the film remains contained and low-key. Yet he radiates a charm as the quiet, mysterious stranger who dances awkwardly, and casually makes paper swans that the director cleverly uses through the film.
Set in the Bombay of the 1980s, Albert Arogyasami returns home after seven years, on Christmas Eve. Later, by chance, he meets Maria, a bored housewife, and her mute daughter, Annie.
Maria (Katrina Kaif) has no choice but to celebrate with her daughter, as her husband is occupied. There is a heart-wrenching backstory here that Sriram drops gently. Two complete strangers watch a movie together, have a drink or two, dance and connect. Albert walks Maria back home, only to find her husband’s dead body there.
From there onwards, things take a turn when he sees her fainting in a church and being helped by a pleasant gentleman Ronnie [Sanjay Kapoor] and decides to tag along. But this time the body in the apartment has disappeared. Albert is intrigued and some unpredictable and bizarre twists and turns follow.
The complex screenplay runs at a leisurely pace but don’t let the slow burn fool you. If you get up to make popcorn, you might miss a crucial bit. You may just want to watch the film a second time to savour some sumptuous moments, only because they are so deliciously and meticulously executed.
The taut screenplay, the Christmasy feel and witty dialogue are a lethal combination. When Maria asks him what he wants to drink, Albert says anything fermented, except dosa batter, would be fine. The editing and camerawork, sound design, background score blend beautifully with visuals of the architecturally stunning Colaba, the Victorian Gothic and art deco buildings that enhance the rich art direction and elaborate detailing in the sets of the film.
Interestingly, the title Merry Christmas couldn’t have been more appropriate, which apparently the director chose after rejecting a bunch of cliched ones around ‘akeli’ [alone], ‘raat’ [night], such as Raat Akeli Hai, Raat Ke Hamsafar and Baat Ek Raat Ki.
As you watch the mysterious characters of Albert and Maria in their dark world of deception and death, the 30-minute nail-biting climax of this twisted tale of love begins which is beyond one’s wildest imagination.
Apart from the bird in the cage parable and the ingenious origami touch, there are some lovely nostalgic nuances with references to classic films and veterans. The cinema ticket with a photo of Rajesh Khanna, a cutout of Amitabh Bachchan from his angry young man days. The song Jab Andhera Hota Hai Aadhi Raat Ke Baad from the 1973 film Raja Rani, played in the background in an important scene.
What a fine musical spectrum Sriram presents, from Pritam to Vivaldi. On one end is Raat Akeli Thi, a soul-stirring track by Pritam, as Arijit Singh and Antara Mitra sing lyrics by Varun Grover. While on the other, the background music of Merry Christmas is heavily influenced by Western classical music. To muffle a gunshot, Sriram uses the crescendo of Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite no 1, “In the hall of the Mountain King,” where the slow tempo builds up to a thundering crescendo in just a few minutes. In another scene Maria played Habanera from Carmen by Bizet. Towards the end Vivaldi’s Winter makes a scene with feelings of anxiety, hope, romance, despair, magic perfect. There was the Pizzicato accentuating the doubt in the police officer’s mind, and when the tempo and tone rises, there are revelations in the climax as Albert and Maria exchange rings.
The cliffhanger ending adds the finishing touch to the pure storytelling and filmmaking of Merry Christmas. I will never forget the paper swans and the Albert’s last look at Maria.