National Award-winning Tamil actor Vijay Sethupathi's next big Hindi film, Merry Christmas, also starring Bollywood sensation Katrina Kaif, has been confirmed for a grand theatrical release on December 15. Touted to be a thriller, the upcoming film also starring Kabali (2016) actress Radhika Apte is directed by Sriram Raghavan of Badlapur (2015) and Andhadhun (2018) fame and will be getting a Tamil release as well. Produced under Ramesh Taurani, Sanjay Routray, Jaya Taurani, and Kewal Garg's Matchbox Pictures and Tips Films banners, two special Merry Christmas release date posters have now been released, including a Tamil version by Vijay Sethupathi.
Both the Merry Christmas release posters are intriguing and tease the story with various plot elements. While the Tamil poster shows Vijay Sethupathi and Katrina Kaif at a near-at-hand distance, the Hindi version includes details such as a single-screen theatre named Regal Cinemas and a cake shop called Jupiter Bakery suggesting they will play a pivotal role in the story. Vijay Sethupathi and Katrina Kaif will be sharing screen space with Sanjay Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Pratima Kannan, and Tinnu Anand in the Hindi version, while iconic actress Radhika Sarathkumar, Shanmugaraja, Kevin Jay Babu, and Rajesh Williams are cast in the same roles in Tamil. The fact that Merry Christmas has been shot simultaneously in Hindi and Tamil shows the team is going full-out in bringing the film to audiences who speak both languages, and the casting of Vijay Sethupathi and Katrina Kaif is no doubt a masterstroke considering they enjoy a big fan following.
Although Katrina Kaif has established herself to be a pan-Indian star, Vijay Sethupathi has carved a niche for himself over the years in Tamil, and Telugu and recently made his debut in Hindi in Mumbaikar, an official remake of blockbuster Tamil filmmaker Lokesh Kanagaraj's directorial debut, Maanagaram. While he will be looking to impress audiences with his performance in Merry Christmas, Vijay Sethupathi is set to be seen next in Bollywood as the antagonist in Shah Rukh Khan's Jawan releasing worldwide on September 7, and we can expect his popularity to soar upwards considering the Hindi superstar has showered praises on the Tamil actor's performance in the film.
We decided to cut short the wait for the Christmas cheer!#MerryChristmas releasing in theatres near you ON 15th DECEMBER 2023.
— VijaySethupathi (@VijaySethuOffl) July 17, 2023
#SriramRaghavan @TipsFilmsInd #MatchboxPictures @RameshTaurani #SanjayRoutray #JayaTaurani #KewalGarg #KatrinaKaif @realradikaa #KavinBabu… pic.twitter.com/dvFNvO2yjE
We decided to cut short the wait for the Christmas cheer!#MerryChristmas starring Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi, Releasing in theatres near you ON 15th DECEMBER 2023.
— Tips Films & Music (@tipsofficial) July 17, 2023
#SriramRaghavan @TipsFilmsInd #MatchboxPictures @RameshTaurani #SanjayRoutray #JayaTaurani #KewalGarg… pic.twitter.com/JnlOrFZRXf
