'Just on the basis of beauty, you can't survive for so long'

'She is a very thoughtful actor.'
'She is in the industry not only because she is beautiful, but also because she is sensible.'

In many ways, Merry Christmas is a special film for Director Sriram Raghavan.

It marks his return to the screen after six long years post the 2018 film Andhadhun.

As a Tamilian himself, Sriram is proud to make his directorial debut in Tamil.

And interestingly, Merry Christmas releases in the same week as his debut feature Ek Hasina Thi completes its 20th anniversary on January 16 (Which, by the way, is Vijay Sethupathi's birthday!).

Shot in simultaneously in Hindi and Tamil, Merry Christmas is headlined by two diametrically opposite actors, Vijay Sethupathi and Katrina Kaif.

Sriram says it was only after casting Sethupathi that he thought it would be interesting to try making a Tamil version. But now, he has grown wary of making a bi-lingual film because of how stressful it can get.

"We would shoot a scene in Hindi, and 10 days later, we would shoot it again in Tamil. That time, we start thinking, we should probably change the camera angle or lighting. These things are not so much fun," the director explains the gruelling shooting process.

Katrina agrees, and explains why in this video.

Ahead of its release next Friday, the stars and film-maker along with Producer Ramesh Taurani and actor Sanjay Kapoor came together for the media interaction at a multiplex in Mumbai's northwest suburb of Juhu on January 4.

Also present at the event were Co-Producer Sanjay Routray, Lyricist Varun Grover, and Editor and Co-Writer Pooja Ladha Surti.

The biggest draw of Merry Christmas is, of course, the lead pair.

Katrina is elusive. And Vijay is a recluse.

But their intense chemistry was the highlight in the trailer of Merry Christmas, which revolves around two strangers who are hiding secrets from each other.

The off-screen chemistry between the two was just as delightful.

Katrina looked amazing in a red ensemble with flowy hair. The trademark cheerful smile was her most noticeable asset.

Katrina, who is riding high on the success of the 2023 blockbuster Tiger 3, said working with Sriram Raghavan was always on her "bucket list".

She described the story as "incredible" and revealed that after Sriram gave her a narration of the story and asked her to build a backstory for her character Maria.

"He asked me to write Maria's back story, like where she was, what drove her to become the way she is and what had happened in her life. I did a lot of workshops with a few different people. That whole process was extremely helpful. We worked really hard before coming on set," Katrina explains.

Katrina Kaif recalls her first meeting with Vijay Sethupathi and Director Sriram Raghavan

Vijay Sethupathi looked at ease with his unpretentious charm and modest appearance in jeans and shirt with Kolhapuri chappals.

He heaped praises on Katrina and said he never expected he would work with her.

"She is a very thoughtful actor. She has so many questions. She thinks a lot. She is very dedicated. She comes up with an idea and she is ready to adapt. Even if she can't accept your thoughts, she will listen to you," Sethupathi said, adding that,"She is in the industry not only because she is beautiful but also because she is sensible. Just on the basis of beauty, you can't survive for so long."

Vijay has avgood sense of humour, and he draws the laughs, as he talks about Katrina in this video.

Sanjay Kapoor, who is currently enjoying a new innings in Bollywood, promises that his is "surely a very interesting" character in the film.

"When I agreed to do the film, Sriram sir said, 'Just a minute' and went to all the assistant directors and told them, 'Sanjay has said yes to the film.' That was the most special moment of doing this film for me," Sanjay says.

When Sanjay was asked to share a secret behind the fit and fabulous Kapoor clan, his response evoked big laughter from the audience.

"There is no magic," he explains. "Whatever is made, Boney (Kapoor, his eldest brother and producer) eats it all. Anil (Kapoor, the middle brother and movie star) and I don't get to eat anything."

As the film approaches release, many fans theories are already doing the rounds as it has now become common with Sriram Raghavan's films.

When the director was asked about murmurs that both versions will have separate endings, he turns slightly cautious and without divulging any details, says, "Logon ko sochne do. Dono films dekho (Let people think. Watch both films)."

Katrina's big 2023 release Tiger 3 achieved blockbuster status. In reference to her role in the actioner, a media person terms Katrina as "just a glamour doll" to which she responds gently without getting annoyed.

"I see things a little different perhaps," she says. "I actually think the character of Zoya is one of the strongest characters I have ever had the chance to play. It was so nuanced and so well-written by Maneesh Sharma. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to play that character."

While Katrina regularly does large commercial entertainers, she doesn't mind doing a film that is slightly different once in a while, and she tells us why here:

Merry Christmas releases on January 12.