'Merry Christmas': Breaking down posters that mimic vintage horror films
What's the story
Sriram Raghavan is all set to take audiences on a ride with his upcoming film Merry Christmas, featuring the first-time on-screen pairing of Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi.
Excitement increased on Monday as the makers unveiled two intriguing posters—one in Hindi and another in Tamil—confirming that the film is set to release on December 15.
Let's delve into our initial impressions of the poster.
Context
Why does this story matter?
There are multiple factors contributing to the anticipation surrounding Merry Christmas, including the buzz generated by the actors and the director's participation.
With films like Andhadhun and Badlapur included in his vast repertoire—Raghavan has established a reputation for offering stories that come with unexpected twists and turns.
With the release of new posters, fans are expecting a similar style of narrative in Merry Christmas.
First impression
Posters evoke nostalgia reminiscent of iconic 1980s movies
At first glance, the posters exude 1980s vibes—reminiscent of the iconic film posters crafted by the Ramsay Brothers—renowned for making horror films in that era.
Besides a captivating Kaif and Sethupathi, a closer inspection of the Hindi poster reveals symbolic elements—a bird breaking free from its cage, a shady-old alley, and a grand cinema hall—visual cues that draw inspiration from vintage horror films.
Design, style
Posters showcase deliberate design choices to grab attention
Both the posters are painted and printed in bold colors that instantly grab your attention.
The deliberate design choices, including incorporating dirt, grunge, and bold typography is an indication that the makers tried to replicate the aged vintage appearance mostly found in classic Indian poster prints.
The meticulous attention to detail in mimicking this style has definitely intrigued our interest in the film.
Twitter Post
Take a look at the new poster here
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 #SanjayKapoor #VinayPathak… pic.twitter.com/oIct7d4DPj
Reactions
'Can't wait for Raghavan's masterpiece,' social media users expressed excitement
As soon as the posters were unveiled, fans flooded social media to express their excitement.
One user remarked, "This seems like an infinitely more polished version of classic Ramsay movies. Can't wait for another Raghavan masterpiece, this time, against the backdrop of nostalgic Bombay."
Another user stated, "This is the kind of poster that anyone would love to hang on their wall."
Speculations
Will there be two different versions of the same film?
During an interview with News18, when Raghavan mentioned that "both versions will be a little different from each other," it left audiences perplexed.
However, as the posters were unveiled today, viewers gained a better understanding of what the director meant.
In the same interview, the director also clarified by saying, "95% of the two films are the same. Only a few characters are different."
Cast
Meet the cast of 'Merry Christmas'
The Hindi version of the film is stacked with an ensemble cast of Sanjay Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Pratima Kannan, and Tinnu Anand.
Meanwhile, the Tamil version stars Radhika Sarathkumar, Shanmugaraja, and Rajesh Williams.
When the director was asked about pairing the unconventional cast of Kaif and Sethupathi opposite each other, he stated, "The story is such that I just needed a very off-beat pairing."