Mumbai–Filmmaker Gurinder Chadha is celebrating a special festive honour as Britain’s King Charles III is set to watch her latest film Christmas Karma as part of his Christmas celebrations at Sandringham.
Sharing the news, Chadha revealed that a print of the film was requested for the royal Christmas viewing. The director also had the opportunity to meet King Charles, who personally told her that he was looking forward to watching the drama.
Taking to Instagram, Chadha posted a video of her meeting the monarch and expressed her excitement. “Whoo hoo. HRH The King will be watching @christmaskarmamovie this Christmas in Sandringham. I am delighted a print of my film was requested. We had the pleasure of meeting @kingcharlesuk who told me he was looking forward to it,” she wrote.
In her post, Chadha shared anecdotes from the meeting, saying the King appreciated the film’s vision of Britain, which aligns with their shared charity work through the British Asian Trust, of which King Charles is patron. She also mentioned that the King interacted with Freddie Marshall, who plays Tiny Tim in the film and lives with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), discussing his efforts to raise awareness about the condition.
Chadha added that King Charles jokingly asked actor Leo Suter, who plays Bob Cratchit, whether she was a good director, noting that the monarch enjoys teasing her when they meet.
Reflecting on the audience response to Christmas Karma, Chadha said she has been touched by reports of viewers dancing in theatres and breaking into applause at the end of screenings. She described the film as a story about finding hope and happiness, particularly for younger generations grappling with uncertainty in the world.
“At this time, charity and empathy mark the festive season for me,” she wrote, extending holiday wishes to audiences.
Christmas Karma, which released on November 14, features an ensemble cast including Kunal Nayyar, Leo Suter, Charithra Chandran, Pixie Lott, Danny Dyer, Boy George, Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter and Eva Longoria. The film is currently playing in cinemas and is also available on streaming platforms. (Source: IANS)
