Gurinder Chadha’s Christmas Karma was inspired by It’s A Wonderful Life.
The 65-year-old filmmaker has always loved Frank Capra’s 1946 festive classic so when it came to making her own holiday film, she knew she wanted to make a movie that offered viewers the same heart-warming experience.
She exclusively told BANG Showbiz: “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.
“I took inspiration from Dickens - just like Frank Capra had - and the idea came to me as I walked round Dickens house in Clerkenwell.”
And once she had her ideas in place, it didn’t take long for Gurinder to have the script ready.
She added: “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.”
Meanwhile, Gurinder is looking forward to a traditional Christmas with her family.
She said: “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.
“I’m always with my cousin and her husband and her daughter and now she’s had a baby so there is a little baby involved. My kids love Christmas. Everybody wants a traditional Christmas.”
The Bend it Like Beckham filmmaker has fond memories of her own childhood Christmases.
She said: “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 and whatever religion you are, all religions preach the same, whether it’s Jesus or Guru Nanak, everybody is all about be kind, have empathy, have compassion, and that’s kind of what Christmas is about for me.”
