On the final day of the Red Lorry Film Festival 2026 in Mumbai, acclaimed filmmaker Sriram Raghavan attended the screening of Night Creatures, a Flemish noir that shares its literary roots with his own 2024 thriller Merry Christmas. The film, based on the same source novel, offered a fascinating parallel to Raghavan’s interpretation, sparking conversations about adaptation and genre.
During the event, Raghavan spoke candidly about the film, its inspiration, and much more—giving audiences a glimpse into his creative process and cinematic influences.

At the Red Lorry Film Festival, Sriram Raghavan amused the audience with a behind-the-scenes tale from Merry Christmas. He recalled how producer Ramesh Taurani of Tips, along with Matchbox Pictures, initially had reservations about his unconventional plan.
“I told Mr. Taurani I wanted to make a 90-minute film with no interval,” Raghavan said. “He insisted it would be tough to pull off without a break and suggested stretching it to 100 minutes. I cheekily replied, ‘Fine, I’ll make it 80 minutes then—but no interval, because the story needs to flow.’”
The twist came later. Once Raghavan began writing, the narrative naturally expanded, and the film’s runtime crossed two hours. “That made Mr. Taurani very happy,” he laughed, turning what began as a creative tug-of-war into a humorous memory of how the film found its own rhythm.

Sriram Raghavan elaborated on how Merry Christmas evolved during its creation. He explained that his initial vision was for a tight, 90‑minute thriller with no interval—a fast-paced ride from start to finish. But once he began writing, the story started to take on a different shape.
“I realized it would be far more engaging if I slowed down and stayed with the characters,” he shared. “That shift changed the film completely. It wasn’t a case of starting production and then altering course midway—the transformation happened organically during the writing itself.

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• Mar 16, 2026
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