When a filmmaker consistently leaves behind his signature stamp on all his films and, barring one attempt, has a super successful record, he becomes a genre in himself. Sriram Raghavan is easily one such filmmaker. His latest Merry Christmas has all his thriller elements along with his trademark humour.

Merry Christmas is based on the French novel ‘Le Monte-Charge’ by author Frédéric Dard. This is for the first time that Raghavan has tried a period film. The story is set in Mumbai in the 1980s (then Bombay). It’s the Christmas Eve (December 24). Albert (Vijay Sethupathi) returns to Bombay after quite a while. He goes out to eat at a restaurant where he meets Maria (Katrina Kaif) and her mute daughter Annie (Pari Maheshwari Sharma) under weird circumstances.

Albert and Maria meet again at a cinema hall. They then start talking and form an unusual bond. Hence, Maria invites Albert to her place. Albert has had a dark past and Maria is not happy with her married life as her husband Jerome (Luke Kenny) is cheating on her. Albert and Maria both start feeling for each other. After Annie goes to bed, they both go out to celebrate Christmas. But, out of the blue, a deadly crime takes place, which puts Albert and Maria in trouble.

Sriram Raghavan’s movies are known for being right on the money from the start, with something or the other continuously taking place. But Merry Christmas is an exception where during most of the first half of the film, nothing much happens. This, however, doesn’t trouble you since the proceedings are thoroughly engaging, especially due to some witty humour taking place in some of the most unexpected places.

The film changes gears once the crime takes place. Police procedure and the behavior of cops is always unique in Raghavan’s films and Merry Christmas is no exception. It also doesn’t repeat any of the traits of the cops from his earlier films.

The only firm issue with Merry Christmas is its abrupt climax. It seems that the film is ended in a hurry and you don’t feel like leaving the cinema hall. However, one also can’t deny that the manner in which the narrative reaches the climax and a major twist coming from a character who didn’t seem important before, is praiseworthy. Hence, the ending portion is a mixed bag. The other concern here is one activity a couple of characters engage in in the second half, which could have at least given less importance and shortened.

Merry Christmas is also brought alive by Mayur Sharma’s production design of the bygone era of Mumbai. The old bus stop of Bombay is enough to invoke nostalgia for those grown up in this city in the 1980s and 90s. As one would expect from a film by this filmmaker, the technical aspects in terms of the camerawork, background score and editing are praiseworthy.

There was always eagerness to see how Vijay Sethupathi would perform in a Sriram Raghavan film. The actor delivers a top-notch performance and gets every ounce of Albert right. A special mention should be given to his subtle humour. This is one of Katrina Kaif’s better performances, although her usual limitations are noticeable.

Sanjay Kapoor and Tinnu Anand succeed in being hilarious. Vinay Pathak and Ashwini Kalsekar leave behind an impact despite arriving late. Radhika Apte is fine in a cameo. The child actor Pari Maheshwari Sharma shows impressive acting abilities.

Overall: Although Merry Christmas isn’t among Sriram Raghavan’s best works, the movie definitely works for thriller lovers and is worth watching for its key moments.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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