A global star with 93 million followers at Instagram, Priyanka Chopra Jonas has shared her desi-flavored reinvention of the band Wham!’s all-time classic Last Christmas. The song features in Christmas Karma, the new festive family film from Gurinder Chadha, director of the iconic Bend It Like Beckham and the 2019 hit, Blinded by the Light.
Christmas Karma will be released by True Brit Entertainment in cinemas across the UK and Ireland, and by Ketchup Entertainment in cinemas across the US, on November 14, while the song will also feature on the accompanying Original Motion Picture Soundtrack album, which will be released on the same day.
Priyanka’s vast cultural influence has been heralded with India’s prestigious Padma Shri award, inclusions in Time’s 100 and the BBC’s 100 Women lists, and she is the first South Asian actress to win a People’s Choice Award for her starring role in Quantico. This long-awaited collaboration with Gurinder Chadha is of special personal significance as the two creative forces share a friendship that dates back many years.
Says Priyanka, “Gurinder has been one of the very few stalwarts in entertainment that has championed stories of the Indian diaspora globally and consistently with absolute authenticity and heart. She is a dear friend and I am so happy to support her in my little way in Christmas Karma. I hope this desi twist to a song, that has long been the soundtrack of Christmas for so many of us, resonates with audiences.”
Gurinder adds, “I am the biggest George Michael Fan, and frankly who isn’t? So I am very grateful to his estate for allowing us to put our own unique twist on his classic Christmas song. When I called my mate Priyanka Chopra Jonas to sing our fun Hindi version, she kindly stepped in to support me and the film with her beautiful take on Last Christmas. George loved Bend it like Beckham and had invited me for tea after he watched it. I hope he will enjoy this track in heaven and all his fans around the world will sing along to the catchy Hindi vibe!”
Christmas Karma is a festive, fresh and feel-good musical adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol, and sees Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory) lead the star-studded cast as Mr. Sood, our modern-day Scrooge, who we follow on an unforgettable and magical journey with the three Ghosts of Christmas (Eva Longoria, Billy Porter and Boy George), who help him to confront his demons and discover that kindness is the real meaning of Christmas. The film also stars Leo Suter, Pixie Lott, Charithra Chandran, Danny Dyer and Hugh Bonneville.
The eclectic soundtrack is influenced by gospel, bhangra, Christmas carols, rap and classic pop, creating a collection of songs which stands as a joyous and colorful musical celebration of Britain today and its communities and cultures.
It features full versions of the songs which help make the Christmas Karma film an uplifting and crowd-pleasing experience, with performances from cast members and musicians, who, besides Priyanka Chopra Jonas, include Gary Barlow, Billy Porter, Shaznay Lewis, Pixie Lott, Boy George and Malkit Singh. The soundtrack also features songwriting and production from Nitin Sawhney, Ben Cullum, Panjabi MC and Hilmi Jaidin.
The film and soundtrack album has already been previewed by the release of its title-track. The Christmas Karma song is the film’s centerpiece, its scene-setting lyrics and energy captured with performances from Shaznay Lewis, Pixie Lott and Austin Howard.
Christmas Karma is presented by BendIt Networks, in association with True Brit Entertainment and Civic Studios, and will be released in cinemas on 14th November.
All tracks feature the cast. And the track-listing is:
1. Christmas Karma – Shaznay Lewis, Pixie Lott & Austin Howard
2. Manz a scrooge – Doc Brown, Lady Leshurr & Shaznay Lewis
3. A gift is a still a gift – Leo Suter & Pixie Lott
4. Money talks – Gary Barlow
5. Funky Christmas feeling – Joy Farrukh
6. Pain of the past – Part 1: Africa – Boy George
7. Pain of the past – Part 2: England – Boy George
8. Rise up – Billy Porter
9. Boy inside the man – Leo Suter & Pixie Lott
10. Christmas Bhangra Karma Featuring Jind Mahi – Jassi Sidhu & Malkit Singh
11. Pain of the past – Part 3: The Future – Boy George & Billy Porter
12. Favorite time of the year – Shaznay Lewis & Joy Farrukh
13. Christmas Karma / Bhangra Song / Jind Mahi Finale – Christmas Karma featuring Doc Brown & Malkit Singh
14. Boy inside the man African Finale – Gary Barlow
15. Last Christmas (Desi Version) – Priyanka Chopra Jonas
16. ‘Christmas Karma’ (Radio Edit)- Shaznay Lewis, Pixie Lott, Austin Howard
17. ‘Rise Up’ (Radio Edit) – Billy Porter
18. ‘Last Christmas’ (Sitar / Guitar Version) – Anoushka Shankar, Nitin Sawhney
A new Christmas classic is on its way. From visionary British director Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham, Blinded By The Light), CHRISTMAS KARMA sees one of history’s greatest novels – Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol – transformed into a fresh, festive and feel-good Christmas musical. Mr. Sood (Kunal Nayyar) is our modern-day Scrooge, who we follow on an unforgettable journey with the three Ghosts of Christmas (Eva Longoria, Billy Porter, Boy George), who help him confront his demons and discover that kindness is the real meaning of Christmas.
