Sriram Raghavan found the perfect way to celebrate Christmas last year as he took Merry Christmas on floors with a week-long schedule. After a long break, south superstar Vijay Sethupathi and Katrina Kaif have reunited for the second schedule of the thriller. The actors, who are collaborating with Raghavan for the first time, recently kicked off the 45-day stint at Filmistan Studios in Goregaon.

The director of Andhadhun (2018) fame is known to craft slick thrillers, where the characters find themselves pushed into a corner, wriggling their way out by ingenious moves. Merry Christmas is no exception. A source from the set reveals that the crime drama tells the story of a seemingly uneventful day that turns the protagonists’ world upside down.

“The edgy thriller is about an event that takes place on Christmas Eve. For the current stint, the makers have built the set of a house. Over the past few days, Vijay and Katrina have been shooting their portions in the bathroom — it sees them having a dramatic argument. While they took a day’s break on account of Holi, the team will resume work today,” says the source. Happenstance is a staple in Raghavan’s movies, as are morally ambiguous characters. “Both actors play characters with grey shades,” adds the source.

Confirming the shoot, co-producer Ramesh Taurani says, “We will wind up the second schedule in April, after which the final leg will be filmed in May and June. The entire movie will be shot in Mumbai, on sets as well as at live locations.”

The Hindi-Tamil bilingual marks Sethupathi’s Bollywood debut. Heaping praise on the actor, Taurani says, “Vijay is a superstar, but off-camera, he is down-to-earth. I have worked with Katrina in Race [2008] and Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani [2009], but you will see a different side to her this time around.”