Bend It Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha has announced her next film Christmas Karma, a modern Bollywood musical set in London, drawing inspiration from Charles Dickens’s timeless classic A Christmas Carol.

Kunal Nayyar, known for portraying Rajesh Koothrappali in The Big Bang Theory, will be headlining the film. He will take on the role of Scrooge in Christmas Karma, joining a diverse lineup including Eva Longoria, Boy George, Billy Porter, Hugh Bonneville, Leo Suter and Charithra Chandran.

“I’m making a new movie! Whoop whoop,” Chadha wrote on social media.

Christmas Karma aims to draw parallels between contemporary London's cost-of-living crisis and the poverty depicted in Dickens’s London. The film's musical numbers, blending rap, Christmas carols and bhangra, will climax in a grand scene on Regent Street involving 300 performers.

Expressing her excitement about the upcoming film, Chadha said, “Just as I have enjoyed Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life for many years, my aim with Christmas Karma is to create a festive classic for our times and for generations to come.”

Production for Christmas Karma is scheduled to commence on April 22 with Chadha’s Bend It Films along with Celine Rattray and Trudie Styler's Maven Screen Media and Amory Leader. Additional financing will be provided by Anushka Shah’s Civic Studios based in Mumbai and London.

This Bollywood rendition of A Christmas Carol will also feature musicians Boy George, Pixie Lott, Billy Porter, and Eve, alongside rising talents like Bilal Hasna and Charithra Chandran.

Christmas Karma marks the fifth venture from British distributor True Brit Entertainment, established in November 2023. It also marks Chadha’s return to filmmaking since her involvement in the Indian historical television series Beecham House. Her previous feature, Blinded by the Light, inspired by Bruce Springsteen's music, premiered at Sundance in 2019.

“I’m over the moon to be working with Zygi Kamasa who has supported me on this film from the onset – and True Brit, which truly celebrates British cinema. I am blessed with such a great diverse Cast and eclectic Music team — the soundtrack will be banging, influenced by Gospel, Bhangra, Carols, and classic pop songs. You will not be able to sit still,” said Chadha.