Starring Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi, Merry Christmas is among the most anticipated films of 2024. Ever since the romantic thriller’s trailer was released, viewers have been curious about the mysterious plot because it did not reveal much about the film. Apart from the plot, Katrina and Sethupathi’s pairing adds an interesting angle. However, the Tamil star was not the first actor who was considered for the lead role. Reportedly, Saif Ali Khan was also interested in playing it.
During a recent conversation with Pinkvilla, director Sriram Raghavan revealed that he met Katrina Kaif after making Andhadhun. While discussing about doing a common project, the director thought that Katrina would be a great fit for Merry Christmas. However, he wanted a pair who had never worked together. He said, “I wanted a very unique kind of a pairing because that’s the story requirement. One should not get a baggage from either of them that, ‘What are these two people about’, and so on.”
Merry Christmas director reveals why Saif Ali Khan wasn’t given Vijay’s role
Sriram Raghavan further revealed that he met a Bollywood actor for the part in Merry Christmas, but things did not happen in his favor. He said, “So I had met another actor who had also liked the role. But then I had told sorry because, he had worked with her before.” When Katrina Kaif insisted on him disclosing the actor’s name, he said it was Saif Ali Khan.
The filmmaker further revealed, “So I met him. He was a little upset that I told him no. But that time, I had not casted Vijay Sethupathi. I just said that, ‘I want something fresh. I don’t know what I am looking for.'”
After Raghavan met Vijay Sethupathi, he realized that the Tamil actor was well-versed in Hindi. He then offered the part to him, and the rest is history.
Merry Christmas will hit the theaters on January 12, 2024.
