Merry christmas first reviews: vignesh shivan praises katrina kaif, vijay sethupathi's 'outstanding performances'

The first reviews of Vijay Sethupathi and Katrina Kaif's thriller, Merry Christmas, are out and it seems filmmaker Sriram Raghavan is all set to deliver another gem after his 2018 movie, Andhadhun. Filmmaker Vignesh Shivan and few others watched the film before it hits theatres on January 12 and shared their praise for the film. 

Vignesh Shivan praises Merry Christmas

Taking to his Instagram Stories, filmmaker Vignesh Shivan wrote, “Absolutely awestruck by the outstanding performances from @actorvijaysethupathi & @katrinakaif in this superbly written thrilling screenplay from the genius @sriram.raghavanofficial takes us back to Alfred Hitchcock times @ipritamofficial's music is another major pillar, the last 30 mins is just tooo good! Enjoy it in theatres from Jan12th! Totally proud of you Makkal Selvan Vijay Sethupathi! You just held it all together with effortless ease."

Other views on Merry Christmas

Film trade analyst Sathish Kumar M wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “#MerryChristmas is like a Vintage Thriller film with interesting scenes in the police station in the second half and climax with #SriramRaghavan’s style.”

An X user by the name of Delusional Amphibian wrote about the film, “#Merry Christmas - A Slow burning mystery drama which takes its own time to setup, builds to a crescendo & then pays off in the final act. Last 15 minutes is the film but for it to work, you need to invest in first 1.5 hours. You might think where this is all leading to but only in the final act you get to know Sriram Raghavan was holding all the cards till the end. In the climax, with no dialogues being said (but still so much being said) VJS walks away with all the applause! Anything more would be a spoiler. Watch it without comparing it with Andhadhun.”

Another by the name of Cine Observer wrote on X, “#MerryChristmas is a slow burn thriller that moves at a gentle pace for the most part. @VijaySethuOffl looks absolutely at ease and @KatrinaKaifFB looks ravishing as ever. The story is based on a French novel. #SriramRaghavan takes his time to get to the gripping part @proyuvraaj.”

Another tweet from the handle Films and Stuffs, read: “Vijay Sethupathi and Katrina Kaif completely held and shouldered the first half of #MerryChristmas, which led to the riveting second half. Peak chemistry.”

Merry Christmas has been shot in two languages, with different supporting actors. The Hindi version also features Sanjay Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Pratima Kannan, and Tinnu Anand. On the other hand, the Tamil version stars Radhika Sarathkumar, Shanmugaraja, Kevin Jay Babu, and Rajesh Williams in the same roles. On Wednesday, a new song Raat Akeli Hai was unveiled from the film.

Teri baaton mein aisa uljha jiya: shahid kapoor and kriti sanon set hearts aflutter in the title announcement poster

Shahid Kapoor and Kriti Sanon have teamed up for the first time for an "impossible love story." During the Jio event held in 2023, they offered a sneak peek of the film. After much speculation, they have officially announced the title of the film as Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya. They made the announcement along with a new poster featuring the lead actors.

Official announcement of film title

Shahid and Kriti Sanon appear in the poster, getting up close and intimate with each other, almost lip-locking. Although the title shows a robot in it, we have to see how it comes into picture. There are reports circulating that Kriti, the robot in the film, develops feelings for the human character portrayed by Shahid. We have to wait for the teaser or a trailer to know more about the story.

While sharing the poster, Kriti captioned her post along with the release date, which is ahead of Valentine's Day 2024, on February 9.

Check it out below:

Speculation on the plot

A clumsy young guy finds his soulmate in a faraway future in Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya. He must win her heart while overcoming a wicked sidekick and navigating through a series of hilarious mistakes and perilous circumstances.

Amit Joshi and Aradhana Sah direct the film, while Dinesh Vijan, Jyoti Deshpande, and Laxman Utekar produce it. Along with Shahid and Kriti, the romantic film also stars Dharmendra and Dimple Kapadia in pivotal roles.

First look poster

In the first-look poster, Kriti and Shahid looked absolutely gorgeous together. In the photo, the actors sit on a bike, facing each other. As the sun sets, the actors get close to each other, which caught the attention of many.

After the clash between Yodha and Merry Christmas, which were earlier set for a release in December 2023, the makers chose the Valentine's Day 2024 weekend for the quirky love story, Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya.

How vijay deverakonda’s love for cheesecake reminds us of rashmika mandanna’s ‘melt-in-the-mouth’ post

The internet has been buzzing over speculations surrounding rumoured couple Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna’s engagement. Now, the latest cheesecake post of Vijay Deverakonda reminds us of a certain someone’s ‘melt-in the cheese’ post. Recently, the Kushi star had posted a video of him devouring a cheesecake with a caption confessing his ‘love for cheesecake’. The post has gotten fans frenzy over the connection with Rashmika’s earlier Instagram story where she can be seen enjoying a slice of blueberry cheesecake. She even said ‘the melt-in-mouth’ cheese along with cookie crust makes up for the best combination.   

Vijay’s latest post has further fueled the speculations surrounding the actors' engagement rumours. Many users under his post have been wondering if he has referred to Rashmika while captioning the post ‘I looove cheesecake’. Check out his latest post and the comments left by curious netizens! 

Interestingly, earlier on Karan Johar’s chat show Koffee with Karan Season 7, actresses Sara Ali Khan and Janhvi Kapoor spilled the tea with a pinch of cheese. For the uninitiated, when Karan Johar asked Sara to ‘name a boy she feels like she wants to date today’, Sara took Vijay Deverakonda’s name. Her response left Janhvi in splits, who in season 6 had confessed that she had a crush on Vijay Deverakonda. Sara then asked Janhvi if she liked Vijay, to which Janhvi jokingly tells to ‘her to have the cheese’. 

When Karan Johar asked ‘why were they passing Vijay Deverakonda like a slice of cheese,’ Sara Ali Khan responded - ‘We can't be after the same slice of cheese like you said and let me tell everyone that she is now giving it to me.’  

Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna’s engagement to take place in February?

While the Animal actress Rashmika Mandanna has been making headlines with her latest outing with the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer, the actress has also been caught in speculations surrounding her engagement with Vijay Deverakonda. According to various media reports, Vijay and Rashmika are likely to get engaged in February 2024. However, there has been no confirmation yet. Nonetheless, all the Easter eggs, that the couple have been dropping for a while now, surely hint at wedding bells sooner than later! 

Happy birthday hrithik, check out these five films of the greek god that boast of his acting mettle

Hrithik Roshan turns 50 this year. The stunning yet highly talented actor, who is known for his dancing caliber, fitness goals, and performance, is adored by fans all over the world for his ability of being a ‘full package’ actor- good looks, good skills, good acting. Despite his filmy background, Roshan has carved his own path through the industry, from working behind the camera prior to his debut, to leading films on his own. 

He had even auditioned for his first film as a hero, that was with his father, and cracked it to earn the role. If a gorgeous yet talented Hrithik’s acting mettle also interests you, then these five films of his are bound to fascinate you.

Super 30 (2019)

The film is similar to an underrated 12th Fail of 2019 that barely received the due credit it deserved, simply because it showcased an actor who does little to promote his projects, despite his tremendous potential. Unlike the popular Khans, Hrithik goes for a struggling, humble teacher who, in real life, has changed the lives of hordes of impoverished students simply by training them for IIT-JEE without asking for anything in return. Roshan wins hearts with his non-glamorous, realistic portrayal of a man whose dreams are realized by his students.

The film is available on Disney+.

Guzaarish (2010)

The film has a wonderful take on euthanasia, before it became popularized by Me Before You, Jojo Moyes’ 2012 novel as well as the 2016 eponymous film. However, though the film did moderately well at box office, with positive reviews from critics, the film marked Roshan’s career best performance. The scene where he is fighting an entire night, sprawled on the ground with his quadriplegic body, while the dripping ceiling continues to torment him while he playfully and exhaustively faces it head on, a drop at a time, is mesmerizing and renders viewers speechless with his yet-untapped acting potential. 

The film is available on Google Play Movies for rent.

Koi Mil Gaya (2003)

This 2003 film, after Kaho Na Pyaar Hai, made sure Roshan entered the mainstream Cinema as an actor to be reckoned. It is unheard of new actors going for roles that are mentally underdeveloped or utilizing sci-fi to answer cognitive development disabilities.By essaying a differently abled character with being dreams, who struggles to maneuver high school and later, actually fulfills them in sequels, is incredibly challenging for any fresh blood. But Hrithik does it convincingly and confidently without batting an eye.

The film is available on Zee5 

Kaabil (2017)

A stirring romantic thriller that traces the atrocities committed against visually impaired people and the vengeance they might wreak if armed with a will like Roshan’s Rohan Bhatnagar, blind but batshit determined, is alluring and makes a binge-worthy project. Yami Gautam’s performance in the film also draws attention as a blind, sexually abused woman, who eases into the characters of lover and victim like a juggling expert, along with Roshan’s spinechilling performance. 

The film is available on Disney+ and YouTube.

Dhoom 2 (2006)

This film not only began the journey of Aishwarya-Hrithik as a pair, that gave us films like Jodhaa Akbar and Guzaarish, but also gave India a project worthy of the Bond fame. Featuring a drop-dead gorgeous and highly sharp and acute heister Mr. A, who is later revealed to be Aryan, Roshan wins hearts and even logic, with his solid portrayal of a big-time, high-tech robber, who doesn’t trust people anymore, and ensures each robbery of his is a puzzle to ponder over for the Indian Police. Hrithik Roshan brings to life the Wattpad dreams of every teenage girl and guy, by essaying the perfect thief (that Berlin couldn’t be), dashing, smart, caring, and challenging!

Dua lipa shows just how much she struggled to sit in her golden globes dress. watch

Dua Lipa was undoubtedly the best dressed at the Golden Globes 2024 this year. The first time nominee and presenter was a dream on the red carpet in the custom made velvet Schiaparelli gown but had a tough time otherwise. The singer has now shared a video to show how difficult it was for her to sit in the fitted bustier dress and joked that she could have felt little more comfortable if there was a recliner in sight. 

Sharing the video and bunch of pictures in the dress, Dua Lipa wrote on Instagram, “Thank you @goldenglobes for such a beautiful night last night - the only thing missing was a reclining chair.”

Fans react to Dua Lipa's outfit

Commenting on her post, a fan wrote, “When you wear your standing dress to a sit down event.” Another said, “Nooooooooo ohhhh Dua we love you even if you can’t sit properly! What dedication in the name of fashion.” A fan even dedicated her an award as a comment read: “and your award for most well managed dress”. A fan also joked, “No one tells DuDu to sit.” Another said in sarcasm, “It’s not an everyday thing though, sometimes beauty needs sacrifice.” A fan also pointed out, "The face once you sat," along with a laughing emoji and an ok sign.

Dua Lipa was a presenter at the Golden Globes for the first time and had also earned her first nomination for her song in the film Barbie. Her song Dance the Night was nominated in the Best Original Song category at the Golden Globe Awards. Dua Lipa had played the Mermaid Barbie in Barbie and chose to wear a mermaid gown for the Golden Globes.

Dua Lipa's India visit

Dua Lipa had recently flown to India to ring in the New Year. Sharing a note after her vacation in Rajasthan, she had written on Instagram, "I feel so beyond lucky to end my year here in India. Thank you to all the wonderful people here who have shown us so much love, kindness, hospitality and generosity. This experience has been deeply meaningful. I feel lucky to be in and within the magic with my family where we have had the time to explore, regroup, recharge and restart. Ready for the year ahead. What a joy!!!"

Watch: mohammed shami, india's 2023 odi world cup star, conferred with prestigious arjuna award by president of india

India's top-performing athletes on Tuesday were conferred with the national sports awards by the President, Droupadi Murmu, in a grand ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. The ceremony is usually held on August 29 to commemorate the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand, but the event was postponed because of the Asian Games in China, which took place between September 23 and October 8, 2023.

The Arjuna Award list comprised 26 athletes and para-athletes. 19-year-old Esha Singh, who on Monday booked her ticket for the Paris Olympics, was the only recipient to have missed the ceremony as she was competing in the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Jakarta.

Among the 25 recipients present at the Durbar Hall was Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami, who was the star performer for India in the 2023 ODI World Cup. Shami had come off the bench after failing to find a place in the XI for the opening four games in the tournament and finished as the leading wicket-taker with 24 scalps, which included three five-wicket hauls, the most by any bowler in a single 50-over ICC event.

Shami, currently recovering from an ankle injury incurred during the World Cup, was present to receive the prestigious award and the crowd duly acknowledged his achievements with an ovation. Shami became the 58th Indian cricketer, male or female, to be conferred with the Arjuna Award, a list that includes some of the legendary names in Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, and Virat Kohli.

Here is the full list of the recipients for the 2023 awards National Sports Awards:

Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award for 2023: Chirag Shetty and Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy (badminton).

Arjuna Awards: Ojas Pravin Deotale (archery), Aditi Gopichand Swami (archery), Murali Sreeshankar (athletics), Parul Chaudhary (athletics), Mohammad Hussamuddin (boxing), R Vaishali (chess), Mohammed Shami (cricket), Anush Agarwalla (equestrian), Divyakriti Singh (equestrian dressage), Diksha Dagar (golf), Krishan Bahadur Pathak (hockey), Sushila Chanu (hockey), Pawan Kumar (kabaddi), Ritu Negi (kabaddi), Nasreen (kho-kho), Pinki (lawn bowls), Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar (shooting), Esha Singh (shooting), Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu (squash), Ayhika Mukherjee (table tennis), Sunil Kumar (wrestling), Antim Panghal (wrestling), Naorem Roshibina Devi (wushu), Sheetal Devi (para archery), Illuri Ajay Kumar Reddy (blind cricket), Prachi Yadav (para canoeing).

Dronacharya Award (regular category) for outstanding coaches: Lalit Kumar (wrestling), RB Ramesh (chess), Mahaveer Prasad Saini (para athletics), Shivendra Singh (hockey), Ganesh Prabhakar Devrukhkar (mallakhamb).

Dronacharya Award (life-time category) for outstanding coaches: Jaskirat Singh Grewal (golf), Bhaskaran E (kabaddi), Jayanta Kumar Pushilal (table tennis).

Dhyan Chand Award for lifetime achievement: Manjusha Kanwar (badminton), Vineet Kumar Sharma (hockey), Kavitha Selvaraj (kabaddi).

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy 2023: Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar (overall winner university); Lovely Professional University, Punjab (1st runner -up), Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra (2nd runner-up).

Shabana azmi celebrates ‘betu’ farhan akhtar's 50th birthday; honey irani, javed akhtar, shibani, zoya and others join

As Farhan Akhtar turned a year older, Shabana Azmi penned a sweet note for him on Instagram. It seems like the Akhtar family celebrated the occasion with a special midnight cake cutting session, which had their loved ones in attendance. From Javed Akhtar to Farhan's mother Honey Irani and sister Zoya Akhtar, it was a full house with Shibani Dandekar's family members as well. 

Inside Farhan Akhtar's 50th birthday celebration

In the photo, the birthday boy was all smiles in a black T-shirt with black pants, next to wife Shibani. All of his friends and family smiled for the camera as they came together for the special occasion. Javed Akhtar held Zoya close for the photo, while Honey and Shabana stood next to each other.

Shibani's sister, actor and VJ Anusha Dandekar, was also a part of the celebration with others. Three big birthday cakes, including one in the shape of the number 50, were seen placed on the table. The photo was seemingly clicked at Farhan's house in Mumbai.

Shabana to Farhan

Sharing the photo, Shabana called Farhan ‘betu (son)’ and wrote, “Salgirah mubarak betu FarhanAkhtar. Jeete raho, khush raho bahut saara pyar (Happy birthday son Farhan Akhtar. Live long, stay happy with lots of love).” Soon after Shabana's post was shared, singer-actor Ila Arun commented, “Happy birthday Farhaan.”

Shabana shares a close bond with Farhan, Zoya and Shibani. They are often seen spending time together, and occasionally Honey joins them as well.

Javed Akhtar was married to the former child artiste and writer Honey Irani. Javed and Honey are parents to directors Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar. In 1978, they parted ways, and Javed married Shabana Azmi in 1984.

Farhan's career

Farhan Akhtar made his directorial debut with Dil Chahta Hai in 2001. He made his Bollywood debut as an actor with the musical drama Rock On (2008). He also featured in several other hit films, such as Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, among others.

He is currently gearing up for his directorial comeback with Jee Le Zaraa. The film was announced in 2021, starring Priyanka Chopra, Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif. He jointly produced the recent Netflix film Kho Gaye Hum Kahan.