A Tender Thriller

Director Sriram Raghavan talks about his latest film, the romance thriller Merry Christmas

- Suhani Singh

Q How did you find the French novel Le Monte charge from which Merry Christmas is adapted?

Earlier, I’d spend Sunday mornings walking through the streets of Churchgate and Fort [in Mumbai] and buy books off footpaths and eventually see a film. That practice is gone as the culture has. Now, I buy books online. What I liked about this was that it’s a very tender story but about crime. It was nice to break away from the twist-turn format of Andhadhun.

Q. Vijay Sethupathi has drawn acclaim for his performance in the film. What is it about him as a performer that establishes a connection with audiences?

He goes by the moniker Makkal Selvan, which translates to People’s Treasure. He is one-onone and down-to-earth with everybody he meets. He’s curious about people and lives. So there’s an immediate connect.