‘Christmas Karma’ is A Modern Retelling of Charles Dickens’ Feel-good Festive Classic

Christmas Karma
Director: Gurinder Chadha
Writer: Gurinder Chadha, inspired by the works of Charles Dickens
Cast: Kunal Nayyar, Boy George, Billy Porter, Eva Longoria, Danny Dyer, Hugh Bonneville
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Family
Runtime: 118 mins
Rating: PG

Christmas Karma offers a musical retelling of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, set in contemporary London and sprinkled with themes of poverty, racism and transformation.

Mr. Sood (Kunal Nayyar) is our modern-day Scrooge, who we follow on an unforgettable journey with the three Ghosts of Christmas (Eva Longoria, Billy Porter, Boy George), who help him confront his demons and discover that kindness is the real meaning of Christmas.

Christmas Karma film in South Africa | What's on in Joburg

What is Christmas Karma all about?

From visionary director Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham, Blinded By The Light), Christmas Karma sees one of history’s greatest novels, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, transformed into a fresh, festive and feel-good Christmas musical.

In Chadha’s take on A Christmas Carol, the modern-day Scrooge character is called Mr. Sood, a rich British Indian, hardened and heartless, who has decided that immense wealth brings him status, so to hell with the poor, the unemployed and the disenfranchised.

Following a visit from Marley, his deceased former business partner, played by Hugh Bonneville (Paddington, Downton Abbey), who warns Sood to change his ways or suffer in death like he did, he is visited by three ghosts, The Ghost of Christmas Past (Eva Longoria), The Ghost of Christmas Present (Billy Porter), and finally, The Ghost of Christmas Future (Boy George).

Over the course of the film, Sood goes on an unforgettable and heart-warming journey of self-discovery and self-realisation, learning an important message from an array of spirits and much-loved characters played by esteemed actors and artists.

Christmas Karma weaves music with a warm message

No Gurinder Chadha film is complete without a banging soundtrack that includes UK hip-hop, Soul, Bhangra, African rhythms, reimagined Christmas songs and traditional Carols.

A colourful celebration of modern-day London and all of its vibrant communities and cultures, the film features an eclectic soundtrack with music from Gary Barlow, Nitin Sawhney and Shaznay Lewis.