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It’s that time of the year. You’ve done everything in your capacity. The air carries a wintry chill and a whiff of regrets. You think about the New Year resolutions that were quashed and the promises that weren’t kept. The Christmas lights, somehow, add a scent of hope that the upcoming year will do you better. Sriram Raghavan’s Merry Christmas unfolds on a Christmas night. Much like the John Lennon song that it reminds us of, it’s Christmas and there’s a lot left to done for Albert (‘Makkal Selvan’ Vijay Sethupathi) and Maria (Katrina Kaif).
Set in the ‘80s Mumbai, Merry Christmas takes us through the quaint lanes of South Bombay. In the unlikeliest of ways, Albert gives company to Maria and her mute daughter Annie. Raghavan pleasantly threatens to enter a Before trilogy territory to make us smile. So, how can a film that fondly acknowledges Thiagarajan Kumararaja be about matters of the heart? And how can a film dedicated to Shakti Samanta not be about it? This is a conundrum as mysterious as the film itself.
To state the obvious, Merry Christmas is the most romantic Sriram Raghavan has ever been. Instead of wedding vows, the protagonists discuss shared trauma. In a profound exchange, Maria and Albert go:
“God helps those who help themselves,”
What about ‘Thou shalt not kill’?
“Sometimes violence is better than sacrifice”
Albert has a dark past and Maria has a dark present. Both chapters intertwine and it becomes a riddle that’s hard to solve. The writers draw an arc where Albert is inadvertently drawn into Maria’s world. He tailgates her without fearing that she would push him back into darkness. There’s something that simmers between the two but it isn’t exploding – like what happens when Deepika Padukone meets Ranbir Kapoor in a film.
Albert and Maria slowly reveal an unsaid layer of trust for each other. There are several small and big moments to establish it – whether it is them watching The Adventures of Pinocchio in Bombay’s iconic Regal Cinema, Maria’s act of saving a pair of goldfish, Albert’s refusal to burn a wallet, or her agreeing to share a bottle of unfamiliar wine with him on a crucial night.
Speaking of trust, it is one quality that Raghavan’s characters cultivate for each other in Merry Christmas. The friendly elderly man (a delightful Tinnu Anand) welcomes Albert back with great glee. Then there’s Annie who discovers a safe space in Albert. Ronnie (Sanjay Kapoor, great fun) gives Albert a fair chance as he flirts with Maria (who looks rather easy to him). For Ronnie, it’s a gentleman’s game where there’s no sore loser. Lastly, Albert’s wife Scarlett (Ashwini Kalsekar) is the poster woman of marital naivety. It is in this mayhem that the cops investigate a death that involves three of the principal characters.
ALSO READ: ‘Andhadhun’ review – Mystery, music and masterful filmmaking
Conveniently set in an era where they had no CCTV cameras or mobile phones, the classic Sriram Raghavan characteristics in Merry Christmas emerge in full force in the third act. Set entirely in one night, the decibel levels are decidedly low. The filmmaker plays wonderfully with the film’s soundscape to make it an unexpected aural treat despite no musical performances, unlike Andhadhun. Madhu Neelakandan’s lenses seem to love longer shots and they capture the emptiness of the era with great beauty. Be it in the quiet romantic moments or those that involve major commotion, the visual and tonal consistency of Merry Christmas stays put. Pritam’s songs are of exceptional quality and the lyrics (Varun Grover) add further sheen to their velvety effect (a word I never thought I’d use in a Sriram Raghavan film’s review).
In Merry Christmas, Katrina Kaif lands her tour de force. Well-cast would be an understated term to describe the magic she spills on screen as Maria unfolds before us – knot by knot. The woman is mysterious yet never apathetic. Celestial beauty aside, she is someone whom everybody wants a slice of but could never get hold of. That’s nearly the story of superstar Kaif’s life even off the screen. Vijay Sethupathy balances intrigue, affection, and hope as he brings Albert Arogiaswamy to life. With a gentle crack in the voice, cold glances, and an eroded memory he is slowly reclaiming after a long hiatus – the man is picture-perfect from start to end. It’s also a joy to spot the filmmaker’s regulars Vinay Pathak and Pratima Kannan (both are great despite limited screen time) as the cops. Suppose the former’s folk story about how the police force handles a case would put many a Bollywood ‘Copaganda’ film to shame. Film narratives have also clearly inspired the female cop (Kannan) who has her conspiracy theories firmly in place.
Merry Christmas prompted me to Google if there’s a Japanese tradition of burning origami swans to make a wish. There may or may not be. But it is in the ASMR-like effect the filmmaker creates in an intimate world where you nearly smell a burning furnace or taste a baked cookie. The use of elements reminded me of Hirokazu Kore-eda’s tropes that get ‘curiouser and curiouser’ – demanding a rewatch to decode as many details as we can. Sriram Raghavan’s film is thrilling, funny, suspenseful, and romantic – all rolled into one. The abstract and dark climax – which honestly isn’t that hard to decipher – propels Merry Christmas to become the most authentic love story of the season and possibly in 2024.
Rating: ★★★★ 1/2
