Katrina Kaif was exhausted with the promotions of Merry Christmas and yet, she was at her cheerful best when she spoke exclusively with Bollywood Hungama about the film’s critical acclaim, the climax and a lot more.
All the critics have showered praises on you for your performance in Merry Christmas. Though you have been doing great work for a long time, how do you feel to see the unanimous acclaim for your performance?
It was very gratifying to see all the reviews for the movie. I feel that this was Sriram’s most experimental film in a way. He completely followed his heart and did exactly as per his vision. He took a lot of risks and to see that connecting with the audience and critics and seeing everyone give so much love has been a rewarding experience.
What was the best feedback that you received for Merry Christmas?
(Smiles) The moment when the team was discussing all the responses that were pouring in…it meant a lot as an actor and as a performer and also gave me peace that our work has landed correctly with the people and resonated with them.
And the second best feedback was from my husband (Vicky Kaushal). After he saw the film, he gave me the biggest hug. I could see how proud he was of everyone and how much he connected with the film. That is always a special moment.
Was there any scene that was shot differently in Tamil and which added to the challenge for you?
There were quite a few scenes. I was with Sriram sir last night to celebrate his 20th year in the industry. Also, it was Vijay Sethupathi’s birthday. I told him that as challenging as playing Maria was, the experience that I’d always remember fulfilling as an actor was the extreme challenge of doing the Tamil version. You have seen the film and you know the kind of dialogues that are there. To perform that all in Tamil was very challenging. It was like putting an actor to the ultimate test (laughs).
There was a lot going on in my life but no matter what happened to me that day or that week, I had to leave everything at the entrance of the set and walk on with nothing in my mind except this role in the film. That’s what I had to do.
The scene where your character tells Albert (Vijay Sethupathi) went mute must have been quite challenging…
That whole sequence was what we started with. Sir wanted to see what my take on it was. On the first day, sir called for a rehearsal on the set. He wanted to know how it would play out and where we would sit. It was a 10-15-page scene. We did a one-day rehearsal and sir called for a rehearsal the next day as well. I requested him to allow me to rethink the whole thing. I realized that I had to switch some things and find my way into it since by then, I knew how Sriram sir sees things.
And then we came back and we went through that whole scene. It was very crucial for us to get it right. That’s the foundation of these characters through which everything else is going to take place.
Was the dance sequence choreographed?
(Laughs) Not really. Of course, there was someone present. It was sir’s idea and he even gave us a few emotional cues. Like what is this dance about and why is this dance happening. Once we got that understanding, then I worked on it and Vijay and I, too, worked on it together. That scene required us to lose all sense of self-consciousness and restraint.
Was there ever an alternate ending?
There was, and it was a dialogue version of that scene. Like with most of the scenes in the film, Sriram sir creates and changes a lot on the set with the actors. A day before we gathered to shoot that scene, a rehearsal took place. This is when he told us that he had come up with an alternate version and that he wanted to shoot the scene without dialogues. He demonstrated and explained the whole thing. For a moment, I was speechless and even reluctant. Nevertheless, we went with his conviction. Once we started performing the scene, I could sense how much beauty there was in the execution of the scene. It just became about the pure, raw emotions, about the sacrifice, that someone can be that good to her after what she has been through and the redemption of Vijay’s character. These are very important moments which he highlighted just with expressions.
Can we expect a sequel to Merry Christmas titled Happy Holi or Happy Diwali?
(Laughs) Knowing Sriram sir, I would definitely say ‘No’. This is where this particular story ends. This is what sir had to say about the film. He’s one of the most exciting filmmakers that we have and every film that he brings will be new and surprising.
Does Sriram Raghavan ever lose his cool?
No, and this is what I told him yesterday night at the get-together. It started with him telling me, ‘Don’t take stress from anything. Even I get stressed at times’. This is when I replied, ‘But nobody ever sees it as there’s no outburst’. Like he’s extremely calm and composed all the time.
And imagine he shot a bi-lingual and yet he remained cool!
He was never stressed. Period (laughs). I used to sometimes cry in a corner as it was too difficult. All sorts of drama were going on with me. But he was too calm.
Also Read: Katrina Kaif reveals the Merry Christmas ‘Back Story’
More Pages: Merry Christmas Box Office Collection , Merry Christmas Movie Review
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