Katrina Kaif had a quick comeback when a reporter called her role in Tiger 3 'just a glamour doll.' During a press conference for her new movie Merry Christmas, a journalist asked her about playing a 'nuanced character' compared to her previous 'glamour role' in Tiger 3, surprising Katrina.
Katrina responded to the reporter's question by saying, “I see things a little differently perhaps. I actually think the character of Zoya is one of the strongest characters I've ever had the chance to play. Especially in Tiger 3, it was so nuanced and so well-written by Maneesh Sharma. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to play that character."
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Slated to release in theatres on January 12, Merry Christmas has grabbed the attention of the audiences since its trailer as it features an interesting pairing of Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi. The suspense thriller marks Sriram Raghavan's return to direction after more than five years since his last commercially successful release Andhadhun in 2018.
In a recent interview, the filmmaker shared that Vijay Sethupathi was not his first choice for Merry Christmas. He said that Saif Ali Khan had liked the role but he refused to cast him as he wanted a fresh pairing for the film. Speaking to Pinkvilla, the Badlapur director said, "What happened was I had met Katrina just casually after Andhadhun (released in 2018), and we were discussing doing something. And I had this story. As I began, ‘I said ok. She will be fab in this. Who is the guy? I went through the usuals, our whole lot. I was trying to compare. I said, ‘OK. They have done something.'"
"Then I wanted a very unique kind of pairing because that's the story requirement. One should not get any baggage from either of them. What are these people about and so on. So I met another actor who liked the role also. Then I told him sorry because ‘You have worked with her before,'" the filmmaker added. When Katrina asked him which other actor he was talking about, Sriram answered, "Saif Ali Khan", and added, "I met him (Saif Ali Khan) and he was a little upset later when I told him ‘no.' At that time, I did not cast Vijay (Sethupathi). I was just saying, ‘No, I want something fresh. I do not know what I am looking for.'" Saif Ali Khan had played the antagonist in Sriram Raghavan's debut feature Ek Hasina Tha, in which he was paired opposite Urmila Matondkar.
