Sriram Raghavan revealed that he wanted a fresh pair for Merry Christmas, and had to say no to Saif Ali Khan for Vijay Sethupathi’s role opposite Katrina Kaif.
The unusual pairing of Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi in Merry Christmas has been the talk of the town. In a new interview with Pinkvilla, director Sriram Raghavan revealed that there was another actor who had shown interest in the part before Vijay came on board. That actor was Saif Ali Khan, with whom Sriram has worked earlier in Ek Hasina Thi (2004) and Agent Vinod (2012).
What Sriram Raghavan said
Speaking to Pinkvilla, Sriram said, “I wanted a very unique kind of a pairing because that’s the story’s requirement. One should not get any baggage from either of them. So I had met another actor who had liked the role also, but then I told him sorry.”
How Vijay Sethupathi came onboard
Katrina Kaif, sitting right beside Sriram during the interview, interrupted him and said she would really like to know who the actor is. To this, Sriram says, “Yes, I can tell you. It was Saif Ali Khan! So I had met up and he was actually a little upset when I told him no. That time, I had not cast Vijay. I was just saying no because I wanted something fresh, I don’t know what I am looking for.”
Sriram then added that it was during his trip to Melbourne for a film festival, where he met Vijay after seeing 96, and asked whether he could speak in Hindi. He said yes and that resulted into the ‘oddball’ combination of actors in the film.
About Merry Christmas
The trailer of Merry Christmas was released a few days ago, which picked up the curiosity of many. Although not much about the film is disclosed, it seems like a signature Sriram Raghavan directorial, packed with suspense, dark comedy and many twists. It is slated to release in theatres on January 12, 2024.
