Filmmaker Gurinder Chadha’s festive film, Christmas Karma, draws inspiration from Frank Capra’s classic, It’s A Wonderful Life.
Chadha, 65, has long admired the 1946 holiday film and aimed to create a movie that delivers the same heartwarming experience. She expressed, “I love It’s a Wonderful Life by Frank Capra – I want a film that makes me feel like that every Christmas – so I thought I’m going to make my own version of a feel-good Christmas film.”
Her inspiration also stems from Charles Dickens. Chadha shared, “I took inspiration from Dickens – just like Frank Capra had – and the idea came to me as I walked round Dickens’ house in Clerkenwell.” Once her ideas materialized, the script came together swiftly.
She remarked, “And once I had the idea everything fell into place. I wrote it in two weeks, worked on the music, made sure the music told the story of the film. Can’t believe we are here now.”
Looking ahead, she is excited about celebrating a traditional Christmas with her family. “Everything, the whole tradition, the drinks on Christmas Eve, going to the church on Christmas Eve, getting up in the morning doing presents, spending the whole day cooking, very much the Queen’s speech was part of our day and now it’s the King’s speech, and then we all sit down to a fabulous meal.”
Chadha added that she enjoys spending this time with family, including her cousin, her cousin’s husband, and their newborn. “My kids love Christmas. Everybody wants a traditional Christmas.”
Reflecting on her childhood, she reminisced about the festive season: “Growing up in London, I loved Christmas, we used to hang stockings up, we used to write letters to Santa. At school, I’d belt out Christmas carols. I still go to church at Christmas and sing Christmas carols. Whatever religion you are, all religions preach the same; whether it’s Jesus or Guru Nanak, it’s all about being kind, having empathy, and showing compassion, and that’s kind of what Christmas is about for me.”