Christmas Karma movie review: Gurinder Chadha, Kunal Nayyar film is a Christmas catastrophe

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Gurinder Chadha is best when she inhabits the world of amalgamated cultures, and her London is a multi-everything city comfortable in its many skins. However, unlike Chadha’s previous ventures – most prominently Bend It Like Beckham – Mr Sood being an Indian is just a plot device.

Having a man of colour in a position of privilege in a city where the poor and refugees now abound – and where this is the new faultline – is a good point to start a story. But since this is essentially a story that was written by Dickens in 1843, Chadha can’t do much, except waste a couple more known faces in a couple more thankless roles – Longoria, Porter and Boy George as Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, respectively.

The music is omnipresent – and bad – and the ending is omni-evident.

Chandran as Mr Sood’s brief love interest is the only actor who has a presence that lingers, while Nayyar bears a one-note scowl through the length of the film.

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Boy George is unrecognisable under layers of make-up. Just as well. He has his Karma sealed, in Karma Chameleon.

Christmas Karma movie director: Gurinder Chadha
Christmas Karma movie cast: Kunal Nayyar, Leo Suter, Charithra Chandran, Hugh Bonneville, Boy George, Eva Longoria, Billy Porter, Bilal Hasna
Christmas Karma movie rating: 1.5 stars