Mumbai,
3rd
December:
Mumbai
witnessed
the
celebration
of
BAFTA-nominated
filmmaker
Gurinder
Chadha’s
latest
musical
feature
film
‘Christmas
Karma’ backed
by
Civic
Studios
and
distributed
by
PVR
INOX
Pictures.
The
red
carpet
came
alive
with
the
presence
of
leading
celebrities,
filmmakers
including
Karan
Johar,
Manish
Malhotra,
Anu
Malik,
Rasika
Dugal,
Sargun
Mehta,
Ravi
Dubey,
&
and
several
other
notable
personalities
from
the
entertainment
fraternity.
Chief
Guest
Amruta
Fadnavis
attended
the
special
screening,
reflecting
her
support
for
inclusive
and
social
initiatives.
Held
in
association
with
Sense
International
India,
a
national
NGO
that
supports
children
and
adults
with
deafblindness,
the
screening
also
welcomed
a
young
person
with
deafblindness
accompanied
by
an
interpreter,
who
engaged
with
the
film
and
expressed
his
love
for
it.
Following
the
premiere,
audiences
enjoyed
an
insightful
Q&A
session
hosted
by
Karan
Johar,
celebrating
the
film’s
music,
message,
performances,
and
multicultural
storytelling.
During
the
conversation,
he
reflected
on
the
director’s
impactful
body
of
work
and
shared
his
admiration,
saying,
“Gurinder
has
gone
from
strength
to
strength,
consistently
pushing
boundaries
and
opening
doors
for
our
culture
in
the
West.
She
has
walked
a
fine
line,
and
done
it
so
beautifully
and
so
effectively.
And
today,
with
the
release
of
this
film
that
moved
all
of
us,
I’m
reminded
again
of
the
emotional
power
of
her
storytelling.
I
remember
watching
this
film
and
being
so
moved
by
it.
The
Christmas
drama
has
truly
been
great
for
everyone
in
the
drama
cycle,
and
congratulations-it’s
absolutely
stunning.”
Speaking
about
the
struggles
of
financing
a
film
in
the
UK
as
an
Indian
female
director,
Gurinder
Chadha
spoke
about
her
excitement
of
the
film
premiering
here
and
the
support
from
the
Indian
studio
Civic
Studios
who
backed
the
film
along
with
other
Indian-origin
financiers,
saying
that
“the
film
has
been
able
to
exist
because
of
Indian
support”,
to
which
Karan
Johar
commented
“much
like
the
film
–
at
its
heart
its
Indian,
and
so
is
its
funding.”
Commenting
on
the
need
to
back
films
by
women,
Anushka
Shah,
CEO/Founder
of
Civic
Studios
,
spoke
about
how
Bend
It
Like
Beckham
had
been
such
a
powerful
influence
on
her
that
it
“It’s
karma
that
after
everything
Gurinder
has
given
us,
backing
this
movie
has
been
a
chance
to
pay
that
gratitude
back”.
Adding
to
the
evening’s
celebration
of
Punjabi
pride
and
the
film’s
cultural
resonance,
Sargun
Mehta
shared
her
heartfelt
admiration
for
Gurinder
Chadha,
saying,
“I’m
just
going
to
say
that,
Punjabian
ni
Shaan
Wakri
and
Gurinder
Chadha
is
the
shaan
of
the
entire
Punjab.”
The
Guest
of
Honour,
Amruta
Fadnavis
shared
her
deep
regards
for
the
director
Gurinder
Chadha
,
she
said,
“I
have
deep
regards
for
you
mam,
and
Bend
It
Like
Beckham-
the
way
you
iconically
directed
it
and
the
world
salutes
you
for
that.
It
was
also
a
torchlight
for
me
to
lead
my
life
with
conviction.
And
here
today
at
the
right
time
we
have
Christmas
Karma,
a
movie
which
tells
us
how
to
be
away
from
our
fears
and
prejudice,
how
to
win
over
people
with
love
and
not
with
hate.
So,
there
are
so
many
things
we
can
learn
from
this
movie
and
it’s
coming
just
before
Christmas
and
we
would
be
the
first
one
to
witness
this
movie
which
again
I
am
sure
is
gonna
make
records
in
the
coming
days.”
She
added,”
This
movie
will
give
us
a
beautiful
story
which
will
touch
our
hearts
,
it
will
give
us
the
message
of
love,
compassion
which
is
very
much
needed
in
today’s
time
which
is
volatile
and
violent.
“
Uttam
Kumar,
CEO
of
Sense
International
India
said
,
”
The
film’s
multicultural
spirit
and
its
celebration
of
diverse
backgrounds
reflect
our
belief
that
every
life-regardless
of
origin
or
ability-deserves
dignity
and
a
rightful
place
in
society.
It
reminds
us
that
empathy,
connection,
and
understanding
are
the
true
festive
gifts.
For
us
at
Sense
International
India,
it
also
highlights
the
importance
of
recognizing
deafblindness
and
disability,
ensuring
that
every
individual
is
seen,
heard,
and
included,”
Christmas
Karma
is
a
strikingly
original
contemporary
musical
inspired
by
Charles
Dickens’ A
Christmas
Carol,
blending
festive
magic
with
a
fresh,
modern
perspective
and
a
vibrant
South
Asian
lens.
The
film
starring
Kunal
Nayyar
(Big
Bang
Theory)
is
written
and
directed
by
BAFTA-nominated
Gurinder
Chadha
(Bend
It
Like
Beckham,
Blinded
by
the
Light)
with
music
by
Gary
Barlow,
Shaznay
Lewis,
and
Nitin
Sawhney.
The
film
is
a
classic
British
story
told
through
the
lens
of
a
South
Asian
director,
with
a
South
Asian
lead
actor
and
backed
by
South
Asian
financing,
the
film
reflects
the
growing
global
presence
of
Indian
producers
and
storytellers.
Backed
by
Civic
Studios,
the
project
is
produced
by
Gurinder
Chadha,
Celine
Rattray,
Trudie
Styler,
and
Amory
Leader,
with
Zygi
Kamasa,
Anushka
Shah,
Paul
Mayeda
Berges,
Sophia
Pedlow,
Sunil
Sheth,
and
Hannah
Leader
serving
as
Executive
Producers.
Ms
Nayana
Bijli,
Lead:
Distribution
and
Licensing,
PVR
INOX
Limited
said
,
“Our
mission
is
to
curate
exceptional
films
from
exceptional
filmmakers
who
have
something
meaningful
to
say.
At
PVR
INOX
Pictures,
we
believe
that
stories
have
no
borders.
We
want
to
distribute
films
that
are
powerful,
that
are
bold,
and
that
are
important,
which
is
why
we’re
so
excited
to
be
collaborating
with
you,
Ms.
Gurinder
Chandra.
Bold,
path-breaking,
and
extraordinary
yourself
–
as
Christine
has
said
many
times
–
your
work
transcends
generations.
You
initiated
diverse
storytelling
in
the
most
beautiful,
warm,
intentional,
and
wholesome
way.
You
weave
South
Asian
culture
into
every
tale
you
tell.
I’m
personally
a
huge,
huge
fan,
having
watched
Bend
It
Like
Beckham
a
thousand
times.
Our
favourite
dialogue
in
the
house
is
“football
should
call
Hyderabad,”
except
for
us
it
was
basketball.
Christmas
Karma
carries
the
same
warmth.
It’s
a
story
of
the
heart
–
it
has
themes
of
family,
joy,
and
elements
of
friendship
–
but
it
also
has
themes
that
are
very
important
to
discuss
in
today’s
landscape.
It
has
themes
of
identity,
immigration,
displacement
–
very
important
for
today’s
world.”
PVRINOX
Pictures
is
bringing
Christmas
Karma
to
theatres
near
you
on
12th
December,
2025