Directed by: Sriram Raghavan
Written by: Sriram Raghavan, Arijit Biswas, Pooja Ladha Surti, Anukriti Pandey
Produced by: Ramesh Taurani, Jaya Taurani, Sanjay Routray, Kewal Garg
Starring: Katrina Kaif, Vijay Sethupathi
Cinematography: Madhu Neelakandan
Edited by: Pooja Ladha Surti
Music by Songs: Pritam
Score: Daniel B. George
Production companies: Tips Films, Matchbox Pictures
Distributed by: Pen Marudhar Entertainment, UFO Moviez (Hindi), Lyca Productions (Tamil)
Release date: 12 January 2024
Country: India
Languages: Tamil, Hindi
Merry Christmas is a new movie from India. It’s a thrilling story directed by Sriram Raghavan. They filmed it in both Tamil and Hindi languages. The main actors are Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi.
They started taking pictures for the movie in December 2021 and finished in January 2023. This movie is the first time Raghavan and Kaif are working in a Tamil film. Also, it’s the third Hindi film for Sethupathi.
They planned to release Merry Christmas in cinemas on January 12, 2024, after changing the release date a few times.
Cast
- Katrina Kaif
- Vijay Sethupathi
- Sanjay Kapoor
- Vinay Pathak (Hindi Version)
- Radhika Sarathkumar (Tamil Version)
- Gayathrie
- Pratima Kazmi
- Tinnu Anand
- Shanmugarajan
- Kavin Jay Babu
- Rajesh Williams
- Ashwini Kalsekar in a cameo
- Radhika Apte in a cameo
Production
Making the Movie
In early 2021, Katrina Kaif signed up to be the main actress in a new movie alongside Vijay Sethupathi. Sriram Raghavan would direct the film. They planned to start filming in April, but COVID-19 and Katrina getting sick delayed everything. Finally, on December 25, the movie was officially announced. Ramesh Turani and Sanjay Routray would produce it.
Picking the Actors
Ramesh said they picked Vijay because he fit the role perfectly. Katrina was their first choice from the beginning. Later on, Sanjay Kapoor, Radhika Sarathkumar, and Vinay Pathak were announced to join the cast. In July 2023, Ashwini Kalsekar and Radhika Apte were revealed to have cameo roles.
Lights, Camera, Action!
Filming began in Mumbai on December 25, 2021. But in January 2022, they had to stop because of more COVID cases. It started again in February at Filmistan Studio in Mumbai. They wrapped up the first part in March. The second shoot started in Chitrakoot in March and ended in November due to a fire incident. Then they finished up in Mumbai by November.
What Happens Next?
After finishing filming, they started working on editing and other things in November 2022. In May 2023, it was revealed that the movie was shot in both Hindi and Tamil, a first for Raghavan and Katrina. They said each language version will have different actors.
Music and Release
Pritam made the music, his first in Tamil. The movie’s songs were bought by Tips Music. It was supposed to release in December 2022, then 2023, but now it’s set for January 12, 2024, due to some delays. Netflix bought the rights to show it at home for a huge amount.
