Director Gurinder Chadha has unveiled the first trailer for her festive musical Christmas Karma, an all-new reimagining of Charles Dickens' classic tale set for UK cinemas on November 14.
The film transforms the traditional Scrooge character into Mr Sood, a British-Indian businessman portrayed by The Big Bang Theory star Kunal Nayyar.
The musical features a recognisable ensemble with Eva Longoria as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Billy Porter as Christmas Present, and Boy George as Christmas Future. The supporting cast includes Hugh Bonneville, Danny Dyer, Leo Suter, Pixie Lott, and Charithra Chandran.
Bend It Like Beckham director Ms Chadha has transposed Dickens' Victorian narrative to modern-day London, with Mr Sood portrayed as someone who "despises poor people and refugees."
Christmas Karma: Danny Dyer stars in the film opposite Kunal Nayyar
|TRUE BRIT
The director has described her work as promoting messages of kindness and love whilst celebrating present-day London's diverse communities and cultures.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Ms Chadha said she was confident that Dickens would endorse her interpretation. "All I had to do was interpret it through my lens today. He [Dickens] had already given me a structure. He'd already given me the characters," she explained.
The director went on to claim that Dickens' message in the original festive classic remains relevant today.
She added: "You know, 200 odd years later, my film's saying exactly the same thing that Dickens was saying. It's just that it's through my lens as a British-Asian woman, basically."
Christmas Karma: Eva Longoria takes on the role of Ghost of Christmas Past
|TRUE BRIT
Ms Chadha revealed she began writing during the pandemic after visiting Dickens' former Clerkenwell residence, but suggested that subsequent global events, including conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, have made the story increasingly pertinent.
"[Dickens] was about being kind; he was writing at a time when the world was so polarised between rich and poor. And hello, 2025!" she told the publication.
Reflecting on the finished product, Ms Chadha admitted she was "really proud" of the finished product, "particularly in the current climate."
She said: "I'm really proud that this is a really feel-good British film [because] we don't get a lot of those."
Christmas Karma: Kunal Nayyar plays a modern adaptation of Scrooge
|TRUE BRIT
Elsewhere, Mr Nayyar expressed enthusiasm about the project, stating: "To explore a beloved holiday tale through the eyes of an immigrant story (much like my own) is exactly the kind of movie that I believe will resonate with so many of us who are searching for the meaning of home."
The film's executive producer, Anushka Shah, celebrated the upcoming release with a heartfelt post on Instagram.
Alongside a snap of her with Mr Nayyar and Ms Chadha, she wrote: "Cannes 2023: I’m with a friend who spots Gurinder Chadha on the promenade. We go over to tell her what watching Bend It Like Beckham did for us as brown girls - how it made us feel seen.
"Cut to now, and I couldn’t be prouder to say that Civic Studios and Gurinder along with some wonderful other partners are bringing CHRISTMAS KARMA to the world this November! A masala musical at its best! (not a genre but I don’t think I could have coined a better term for this film!).
"Supporting a quintessentially British story told through the lens of a director of South Asian heritage, with a South Asian lead actor, and backed by South Asian financing is putting our hearts, heads, and hands to a goal that truly matters - bringing a global south lens to the world.
"It’s a movie that entertains beautifully and impacts powerfully - a combination that Civic Studios is all about. See you at the cinemas!
Christmas Karma: Pixie Lott is also part of the cast
|TRUE BRIT
"P.S. I was 2 months pregnant during the shoot (including a bhangra cameo!) and now that baby is out in the world, I hope in the future she’ll look back and be proud we produced a movie that tries to expand our narratives on race & immigration - not with hate - but with love and laughter." (sic)
The production boasts an eclectic soundtrack blending gospel, bhangra, carols, rap, and pop, with contributions from Gary Barlow, Nitin Sawhney, Shaznay Lewis, Ben Cullum, Panjabi MC, Jassi Sidhu, and Malkit Singh.
True Brit Entertainment will distribute the film, marking Ms Chadha's return to feature filmmaking following 2019's Blinded by the Light.