'Merry Christmas' director Sriram Raghavan reveals why he did not end up casting his first choice Saif Ali Khan opposite Katrina

Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi in a still from Merry Christmas

Sriram Raghavan, previously known for films such as 'Badlapur' and 'Andhadhun', is all set for the January 2024 release of his next film 'Merry Christmas' starring Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi. He revealed how initially he had Saif Ali Khan in his mind for the role which is now being played by Vijay Sethupathi, most recently seen in action in the blockbusters 'Jawan' and 'Vikram'. The 'Merry Christmas' trailer has been released and is getting a lot of attention, especially for its unique casting. In a candid conversation with Pinkvilla, the director opened up on the casting of the film.

"I had met Katrina casually after 'Andhadhun' and we were discussing doing something together," 'Merry Christmas' director Sriram Raghavan said. "I had a story and when she listened to it, she really liked it and asked me who the guy was."

"At that time I had some other actor in my mind. I had spoken to Saif Ali Khan and he liked the story, but then I had to say 'no' to him. I wanted a unique pairing. That is the story requirement.

"I did not want any baggage from either of them. I wanted to have someone fresh who has not done any work with Katrina. Soon after, I was going to Melbourne for a film festival and on my way there, I watched the film '96' of Vijay. I also met him there and asked him if he spoke Hindi. He told me he had worked in Dubai for three years. This is how this oddball combination came about. It got me excited to work on this film."

In the same conversation, Raghavan spoke about the importance of the box office and shared, "Of course. It is not only art. People are investing so much money. So they have to get the money back. If they don't get their money back, no producer will come to work with us. So that's the most important. Box office is the most important. People have to watch the film. We have to entertain them. So that's very much important."

Further Katrina Kaif also opened about the box office and said that if people are not coming to watch your films then there is a problem. The actress said "If nobody has come to watch the film, there's a problem. There has to be a problem. You can excuse it to yourselves or maybe amongst an intellectual conversation, someone can have a reason for it but if they haven't come to see the film; that makes it not a success at the box office, there's a problem. One should think about it in retrospect."

'Merry Christmas' is a romantic thriller film made simultaneously in Hindi and Tamil. The film is scheduled to release in theatres on January 12, 2024.