Merry Christmas (Hindi) movie review: ‘Santa’ Sriram Raghavan delivers a wonderful gift that contains a heady mix of nostalgia, romance and thrill.
Cast: Vijay Sethupathi, Katrina Kaif, Sanjay Kapoor, Tinnu Anand, Vinay Pathak, Pratima Kazmi, Radhika Apte (cameo)
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Writers: Sriram Raghavan, Arijit Biswas, Pooja Ladha Surti, Anukriti Pandey
“Jab se yeh duniya bani hain na, har koi ek hi pal ki talaash mein hain. Aur woh pal jab aata hain tab samajh mein aata hain ki saikdon saal se chal rahi zindagi isse pal ke liye thhi,” Albert’s friendly neighbour tells him while explaining why he chose the name ‘Yadhoom’ for his brand of home-brewed wine.
Interestingly, this dialogue fits like a glove for Merry Christmas when director Sriram Raghavan reveals all his cards that had been holding close to his chest in his ‘delicious’ finale.
What’s Yay: Performances, Direction, Cinematography
What’s Nay: The slow-paced first half might leave you a bit exhausted if you ain’t into slow-burn thrillers
Story
A shot of Asha Parekh’s hysterical scream from one of the scenes in Shakti Samanta’s 1971 film Kati Patang. A scene featuring two images- top shots of mixer grinders; one with powdered pills and the other with podi. Sriram Raghavan makes it clear right at the beginning- ‘there’s more than meets the eye.’
Set in times when Mumbai was called Bombay, Albert (Vijay Sethupathi) who claims to be a Dubai-returned architect crosses path with Maria (Katrina Kaif) and her little daughter at a fancy restaurant on a balmy Christmas eve. Apparently, the former has just landed in the city after seven years only to find that his mother is no more. On the other hand, Maria is a lady with a strained marriage who believes that ‘her husband is shacking with some girlfriend in Orlem’.
Strangely drawn towards each other, Maria invites Albert to her vintage-styled apartment where the duo end up sharing their pasts over a few drinks and some ‘happy’ jig. As the night passes by, Maria slips into her favourite dress and steps out for a ‘time-travel’ stroll with Albert only to dial ‘M’ for murder and miracles.
Direction
For Merry Christmas, the neo-noir master Sriram Raghavan borrows the basic plot from Frederic Dard’s French novel Le monte-charge and generously dunks it into his signature syrup. He doesn’t miss a chance to tip his hat to some of his favourite film personalities. Cinephiles, you are in for a treat!
Albert’s past has a certain Rosie and their love story reminds you of Dev Anand-Waheeda Rehman’s Guide. Rajesh Khanna makes an appearance not just on a card-ticket with a fortune message. Sriram also uses the song ‘Jab Andhera Hota Hain’ from his 1972 film Raja Rani to reveal a crucial plot device that later brings in a twist. There’s a little tribute to Rajnigandha‘s taxi song ‘Kai Baar Yun Bhi Dekha Hai.’ A popular South Bombay movie hall showcases The Adventures Of Pinocchio. Instead of boring fonts, the filmmaker uses a vintage ‘Liril’ advertisement as a timestamp.
In short, Sriram Raghavan makes sure that you keep your eyes wide open lest you’ll miss a tiny detail. It’s impressive how the props and dialogues in Merry Christmas contribute to a larger purpose in the film. So, when Vijay Sethupathi’s Albert says, “Fermented kuch bhi chalega except dosa batter,” on being asked what he would like to drink, little do you anticipate that there’s a ‘lip-smacking’ revelation waiting for you in context to this. From a bird-cage hanging toy to a wallet, every prop in Merry Christmas is a character on its own.
Sriram Raghavan takes his own ‘sherry sweet’ time to build his world and that basically makes for the first half of the film. You fidget a bit in your seat when there isn’t much happening on the screen in a few portions. Those who ain’t much into slow-burn thrillers might find that wait a little taxing. However post interval, when you slowly start connecting all the dots, it’s all things exciting till the end.
Performances
Sriram Raghavan’s distinctive casting of Vijay Sethupathi and Katrina Kaif is rewarding in Merry Christmas. The ever-reliable Vijay is one of the reasons why you remain hooked to the film. There is a scene in the film where his Albert bumps into a drunkard on the street and gets into a scuffle with him only to end it with a funny line. The variation that the actor showcases in those few minutes is enough to prove why he’s one of the best talents we have got.
Katrina Kaif gets the mysterious vibes of her character Maria right. Except for the tight close-up shots where the camera lingers on her for a long, the actress has a smooth sailing in Merry Christmas. The simmering romantic chemistry that she shares with Vijay on screen is every bit refreshing.
Like his character Ronnie says, ‘The good Lord knew how to keep me in the right place at the right time,” Sanjay Kapoor makes an absorbing entry and adds more to the thrill and laughs. Ashwini Kalsekar who plays his better-half is also a laugh-a-riot.
The more the merrier and so, we have Vinay Pathak and Pratima Kazmi as the cop duo who seem to be having a ball as they step out to investigate a crime.
Technical Aspects
Be it the hue of red (that of the X’mas season or the cold-blooded crime), the dingy rooms holding a secret or the mirrors threating to spill it out; Madhu Neelakandan’s camerawork makes every frame jump alive and catch your attention. Pooja Ladha Surti’s editing keeps the tension tight.
Music
Out of all the songs penned by Varun Grover, ‘Raat Akeli Thi’ in Arijit Singh and Antara Mitra’s vocals makes for for a soothing listen and grows on you with every replay. The rest work well more in context of the narrative rather than standalone tracks.
Verdict
In one of the scenes in Merry Christmas, Albert (Vijay Sethupathi) asks Maria (Katrina Kaif) to choose one finger out of the two. When the latter selects one, he quips ‘Good choice.’ Well, Sriram Raghavan’s latest film doesn’t require you to play this game to make your choice. It’s a ‘ho, ho, ho’ from our end.
