'Merry Christmas' director Sriram Raghavan revealed why he didn't cast Saif Ali Khan in his upcoming movie alongside Katrina Kaif.
Helmed by Sriram Raghavan, ‘Merry Christmas’ boasts a star cast of Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi, and has become one of the most highly-awaited films of 2024. It marks the comeback of the ace director after ‘Andhadhun’ (2018). The trio graced the Pinkvilla Masterclass with their presence and shared insights on their upcoming film.
The director revealed what made him get an unexpected collaboration to cast as his lead roles.
"What happened is that I had met Katrina, casually after ‘Andhadhun’ and we were discussing of doing something. And I had this story and as I began, I said, 'Ok. She will be fab in this. Who's the guy.' Then I went through the usual set; Our whole lot. I was trying to compare. Either they (Katrina Kaif and the other actor in question) have done something. And 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,” the director stated on how it all began.
He went on to reveal that Saif Ali Khan was rejected from the role that is now played by Vijay Sethupathi. “So I met him (Saif). 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.’”
The ‘Andhadun’ director stated that he had met the actor in Melbourne at a film festival. Elaborating on his thoughts of getting Vijay on board with this movie alongside Katrina, he said, “Then I thought that this is very interesting and this odd-ball combination will make people curious. And I myself was curious. With any regular pairing, I could sort of imagine a certain movie. Here, I did not know it myself. So the excitement was there.”
‘Merry Christmas’ is scheduled to release in theatres on January 12, 2024.