Merry Christmas

Forget the fruitcake and spiked eggnog, "Merry Christmas" is the real holiday treat you deserve. This isn't your grandma's feel-good Christmas movie; it's a suspenseful, stylish, and morally ambiguous masterpiece from Sriram Raghavan. Picture "Inception" meets "Casablanca" with a dash of Mumbai masala chai, and you're getting close.

Imagine a forbidden romance between a lonely housewife and a mysterious stranger, set against the twinkling lights and bustling chaos of Christmas Eve Mumbai. Pari Maheshwari Sharma smolders as the housewife, trapped in a gilded cage, while the enigmatic Vijay Varma saunters in with secrets simmering in his eyes. Raghavan paints every frame like a visual poem, using light, shadow, and even the way a sari swirls to hint at the tangled web of desires and betrayals to come.

Get ready for Hitchcockian twists that'll leave you gasping, like unwrapping a perfectly-shaped present only to find a ticking bomb inside. But Raghavan isn't just playing games; he's using this suspense to dig deep into the messy heart of human relationships. Is love a refuge or a prison? Where does loyalty lie when faced with temptation? And can you ever truly escape your past?

The music in this film is like a monsoon rainstorm on a Mumbai rooftop, swirling with sitar twangs and melancholic cello cries. It seeps into your bones and adds another layer to the film's intoxicating atmosphere. You'll be humming these tunes long after the credits roll.

Raghavan isn't afraid to borrow from the best, weaving the suspenseful chills of Hitchcock with the philosophical musings of Eric Rohmer. It's a genre-bending cocktail that's both familiar and refreshingly unique. He throws in unexpected pop culture references and Bollywood winks that'll have you grinning between gasps.

"Merry Christmas" isn't a film to passively watch; it's an invitation to participate, to puzzle over clues, question characters, and grapple with the moral tightrope they walk. It's a slow burn that explodes into a finale that will leave you shaken, stirred, and maybe a little bit hungover on existential questions.

So, ditch the fruitcake and dive into "Merry Christmas." It's a cinematic feast that will linger long after the last bite, leaving you questioning everything you thought you knew about love, loyalty, and the magic (and mayhem) of the holiday season.

P. S. Don't forget to pay attention to the little details in this film. Raghavan loves hiding clues and symbolism in every frame, from the color of someone's shirt to the stray object on a table. It's like a treasure hunt for the observant viewer!

Negative: Toooo slow, but only watched till end hoping that direction will surprise, but unfortunately total disappointed, Predictable at most of the parts Katrina was totally wrong choice for this role, she can't act at all.

Vinay pathak is over acted.

Leems like only Sriram Raghawan name used but actually he did not work and taken care only last 25 minutes

Positive: Vijay: effortless acting, always like to see his acting and he never disappoints.

Best part of the movie was last 20-25 minutes, which is the saviour and only part which viewers will take back from theater.

Sanjay Kapoor is best suited for unpredictable charecter roles but some how industry has not much offered such roles to him.

Watch only if you don't expect anything from Sriram Raghawan.

I saw this third day last show with my family in Gaiety theater, Bandra West.

The sad part was that the theatre was almost empty but i enjoyed the movie n was looking forward to it cos of the director Raghavan. While the misogynist n regressive film like Animal was theatre packed.

Coming back to this film, this one truly transports the viewers to the 80s Bombay. The Regal theatre, Colaba's lanes n empty streets all added an extra nostalgic charm.

There are no twists n turns n the movie moves at a deliberate slow pace showcasing the laid back attitude of the 80s.

Haven't read the book n haven't seen the short movie.

Katrina Kaif was a very wrong choice to potray a woman from the 80s.

Vijay was perfect n gave a good restrained performance.

The movie has a surprise reveal, rather than some mind-blowing and wtf twist.

A very slow burn ..by a exceptional director who thrives in movies of this genre. He has had made most of his material hit the spot...and usally word of mouth gets his movies to go up in viewership But in this one ..the buildup takes an entire first half that could have been easily chopped by 30 percent minimum.. but in the hindsight the buildup was needed for the so called surprise ending But a watchful viewer would have guessed it as we get into the last course It's a very decent story ...but it doesn't bangs like his previous work.

Actors are very honest to their art. Katrina does exceptionally well. Vijay is such a charm you ...just love watching him on the screen.

Only if there was more meat on the soup the celebration would have made it perfect merry cristmas.

Serpentine twists and turns. Nail-biting suspense and tension-filled moments that keep you on edge. A masterstroke finale... Director SriramRaghavan delivers an out-of-the-box, absorbing tale that teases your mind, besides keeping you engaged and entertained. MerryChristmas could've done with faster pacing and slight trimming for an enhanced impact... Also, this film depends entirely on a strong word of mouth, so don't expect fireworks at the BO on arrival.

In the coming days, one word that's sure to be associated with Merry Christmas is 'slow burn'. In the past few years, we, as an audience, have become so accustomed to a fast-paced narrative that anything remotely unhurried feels like it's demanding a lot from us. In Merry Christmas, Sriram Raghavan takes his own sweet time to tell the tale of a woman in an unhappy marriage and a man with a mysterious past while also making sure that his characters have abundant time to breathe, talk, and even go for a walk around town.

On the whole, MERRY CHRISTMAS is a well-made thriller and is laced with a fine performance by Vijay Sethupathi. At the box office, it'll need a strong word of mouth to succeed as it appeals only to the multiplex audience in the urban areas.