Sriram Raghavan has presented us with an excellent psychological thriller, Merry Christmas, which is something out of the box. Starring actors like Katrina Kaif, Vijay Sethupati, and Anil Kapoor, the movie is sure to leave a mark on us. Each of the actors has done a commendable job in the movie with their exceptional performances. Despite having a twisted plot, the ease with which they have played their roles is truly impressive. How will the characters entangle the readers in a web of mystery? Let’s find out how the creators of other thrillers such as Andhadhun and Badlapur have shaped the characters in this film!
Maria
Katrina Kaif has managed to garner back the lost attention of the audience with her groundbreaking performance in Merry Christmas. Maria may seem to be just another girl next door, but for those who don’t know, she has a vicious side to her. The mastermind that she is has been effectively explored in the movie. She had plotted to murder her husband on Christmas Eve for over a month. She just wanted all her alibis to be right in place, keeping a witness who would testify to her innocence. She decides to lure Albert into her house (where she had already murdered Jerome) first and spend some quality time with him. Later, when she got to know that he was a murderer who had just come out of jail, she asked him to leave, as she knew the police would think that they had both been involved in Jerome’s murder.
When her first plan fails, she goes to the cathedral to lure someone else. When she managed to lure the second man, Ronnie, she realized that Albert had been tailing her. She tried shooing him away just to save her own back. When the police came in, she feigned innocence. Later, when the police had left, she realized that Albert was still at her place, hiding. He had discovered her master plan of creating two similar rooms to befool the police. She confessed to Albert that she had drugged Jerome and killed him in one room (making it look like a suicide), while in the other similar room, she tried to lure Albert and Ronnie. She wanted to portray that when she had gone out with either of the men, her husband had come home and committed suicide.
Maria was not a feeble character. She had decided to fight for her own rights and free herself and her daughter of the clutches of a torturous husband. However, the moral compass in her was disbalanced, as she could have chosen to divorce him, but she finally decided upon killing him instead. She is also seen lying like a cold-hearted psychopath, who must have rehearsed the murder and lied a thousand times in her head before the real action. Maria’s character personifies a lonely and frustrated wife who can go to any lengths to make her own life better. She must have been driven to the brink of her limits due to her husband’s infidelity and bad attitude towards her daughter.
Albert
Vijay Sethupathi has done an excellent job playing the role of Albert on Merry Christmas. Just like Maria, he seems like another simple character in the beginning, but his true colors are revealed later. There is a dual side to his character; the first part of him is very calm and reticent, an absolute gentleman, while on the other hand, he is a murderer. He helps Maria with her child to get them back home and even spends quality time with her. Later, when it is revealed that he murdered his girlfriend seven years ago and had just come out of jail, it sends shivers down our spines. He is seen switching back to his vicious side when he randomly hits a person on the road (after he is hit by the car door) and then gets a handle on his anger. Probably, the origami swans that he made were part of his therapy!
However, when he learns that Maria is just another murderer like him, he decides to help her. He helps her destroy all the evidence and even testifies to the police in her favor. However, something in him switches when he decides to hand over to the police some evidence against himself. He had kept Ronnie’s wallet with him intentionally so that he could give it to the police later and prove his hand in the case. It is possible that he wanted to save Maria and take all the blame upon himself (as there was a possibility of a further investigation). He must have been so deeply in love with a stranger that he decided to sacrifice himself, bringing out his selfless nature. On the other hand, there is also a possibility that he was still suffering from the guilt of killing Rosie and wanted to spend the rest of his life in jail.
Ronnie
The character of Ronnie has been played by Anil Kapoor, a gifted Bollywood actor known for his blockbuster films like ‘Judaai’, ‘Mr. India’, and many more. Despite not having much screen time, he plays a significant part in Merry Christmas. He plays a flirtatious character who tries to aid Maria after she pretends to faint in the church. Initially, he tries to flirt with Maria, taking his wedding ring off. However, he is unaware of her plan to cover up a murder and decides to drop her off at home. Later, he is told that Maria lost her watch in the church, and when they go to get it back, they return to find Jerome killed. Ronnie immediately calls the police.
Just when we think that the fuss is over and Jerome’s death is declared a suicide, Ronnie makes a mess. He informs the police that his purse was at the murder scene during the murder, but it was missing later. He suggested the possibility of some burglar entering the house and committing the murder. He could have been a flirtatious man (lying to his wife half the time), but he was honest enough to testify honestly so that a man who could possibly have been murdered would gain justice.
Some supporting characters
Rosie: Radhika Apte has done her cameo role as ‘Rosie’ in the film Merry Christmas. She has played the role of Albert’s lover (and also his boss’ wife). Albert murdered her for refusing to leave her husband behind and getting married to him. The renowned actress has also made her appearance in other psychological thrillers like Andhadhun.
Jerome: Luke Kenny, in the role of Jerome in the film, was found murdered at his apartment. He was Maria’s abusive husband whom she had murdered only to make it look like a suicide.
Yadhoom Uncle: Tinnu Anand played the role of Albert’s supportive neighbor, Yadhoom uncle, in the film. Yadhoom uncle was Albert’s mother’s caretaker and was his last connection left after his mother had died.
Police Inspector: The police inspector has been played efficiently by Vinay Pathak, who is also known for his roles in films like Bheja Fry and Chalo Dilli. He was initially suspicious of Maria, and later when he got his hands on Albert’s showpiece, he hinted at the fact that Maria and Albert had been involved in the case. He may have looked like a lazy cop to us, but he had done his homework thoroughly!
