Merry Christmas Review: Katrina Kaif and Vijay Setupathi’s thriller is intriguing but underwhelming

For a true cinephile, a Sriram Raghavan film is a cause to celebrate. If there is one director who combines style, substance, quirks and thrills perfectly, it is Raghavan. The auteur, whose repertoire boasts of brilliant neo-noir gems like Ek Hasina Thi, Johnny Gaddar, Badlapur and Andhadhun, has a unique knack of weaving a fascinating world with morally ambivalent characters who try to commit the perfect crime.

They may or may not get away with it, but his skill as a filmmaker lies in drawing you into this world, making you a happy participant, and even forcing you to inadvertently put your detective hat on as you guess – ‘Just what could have happened?’. The loose ends, without the need to tie up the plot points in a perfect bow, makes for riveting viewing.

Merry Christmas, Raghavan’s latest, falls into similar territory. The movie generated interest from the moment it was announced, primarily because of the leads – Vijay Setupathi and Katrina Kaif. He, a celebrated thespian and she, the epitome of Bollywood glamour.

The premise is time-tested but a fool proof one as far as thrillers go. Two strangers meet one night in Bombay (when it was still Bombay and not Mumbai), and strike up a connection. One thing leads to another but instead of a fairy tale ending, you get a murky murder and some drastic attempts at cover-up. Katrina Kaif and Vijay Setupathi play the aforementioned strangers whose paths cross on a fateful Christmas night.

A mother of an adorable girl, Maria (Katrina) has pain and pathos written all over her gorgeous face but how can Albert (Vijay) resist when she offers him a drink? She leads him into her lair…sorry…her well-appointed apartment, and the plot thickens. Their half-night relationship has many elements – compassion, empathy, concern and chemistry, and it could have led to something more but alas! A shocking surprise awaits them (and us) which tears their world apart.

Frankly, the viewer can sense murder from a mile. We also know that Maria is not who she portrays herself to be and Albert has some revelations of his own. The picture-perfect apartment in an old musty South Mumbai building, Maria’s edgy behaviour, the silence of the festive night and the air of mystery, all propped by Daniel B. George’s superb background score and Madhu Neelakandan’s moody cinematography, make you wait impatiently for the action to begin.

Unfortunately, that’s where the film loses out. The first 45-50 minutes of Merry Christmas are spent in world-building as Maria and Albert have long-drawn conversations on the road and in her house which, truth be told, can test your patience. Needless to say, there are several red herrings and Easter eggs that Raghavan drops and you need to be alert to catch them.