“A modern take on a classic novel”: Boy George, Kunal Nayyar, Billy Porter and Gurinder Chadha on Christmas Karma

Star-studded Christmas Karma is a brand-new musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, directed by Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham), who revisits the classic story through a modern lens. The events in the film take place in London and were inspired by the historical expulsion of Indians from Uganda. The contemporary version of Scrooge is played by Kunal Nayyar, who detests refugees and is visited by three ghosts, who will change his life forever. At the same time, the soul of the entire adaptation is the Bollywood-like soundtrack, full of dynamic compositions and new versions of Christmas classics. 

Culture Club’s singer, the iconic Boy George, who plays the Ghost of Christmas Future, spoke to The Upcoming about his performance, music and his personal relationship to Dickens’s novella.

Christmas Karma’s director discussed her central inspiration for the film, which is Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life, and told us why adapting Dickens’s story felt so important to her.

Kunal Nayyar, best known for his appearance in The Big Bang Theory, told The Upcoming what it was like to appear as a modern version of Mr Scrooge on the big screen.

Billy Porter, who stars as the Ghost of Christmas Present, spoke to us about his role, the importance of the soundtrack in the film, and reading Dickens’s book for the first time.

Jan Tracz

Christmas Karma is released nationwide on 14^th November 2025.

Watch the trailer for Christmas Karma here: