A Nice Indian Boy is a tender queer rom-com starring Deadpool's Karan Soni and Jonathan Groff
What: An all-in rom-com about a gay Indian doctor opening up to love, executive produced by Mindy Kaling.
Starring: Karan Soni, Jonathan Groff, Harish Patel, Zarna Garg
Directed by: Roshan Sethi
Where: In cinemas now
Likely to make you feel: Giddy and ready for a big romantic gesture
A soft-spoken, handsome gay doctor, Naveen (Karan Soni; Deadpool) is a romantic who longs for a Hindu wedding like his sister Arundhathi's (Sunita Mani), a grand, colourful celebration that opens the film.
Sitting glum on the dancefloor's sidelines, he nods politely as aunties and uncles tell him he's next, while wondering what it would look like for him to bring home a nice Indian boy of his own.
Where the siblings' parents (Zarna Garg, Harish Patel) continually prod Arundhathi to get married and have kids, they actively avoid discussing Naveen's love life. As he narrates, "They know I'm gay, they just haven't seen me be gay" — and he's decided that's the best way forward, rather than confront any awkwardness.
This discomfort sits undisturbed for years. After the wedding, A Nice Indian Boy zips forward six years, with Naveen now in his early 30s and having avoided serious dating, therefore never having to introduce a man to his family.
Until Jay (Jonathan Groff; Frozen, Hamilton) enters. He's a cute photographer who asks Naveen on a date after a series of serendipitous meetings, including during a moment of prayer at a Hindu temple. A free-spirited artist, Jay isn't exactly the model man to win Naveen's parents' approval, least of all because he's white — surely a non-negotiable for his status-anxious parents?
But Jay is the film's unconventional Nice Indian Boy — an orphan raised by Indian parents. It's a slightly clunky backstory, but one that sits as awkwardly as Jay does in Indian culture, especially now that his adoptee parents are dead.
Jay's cultural heritage is A Nice Indian Boy's most evident twist — on the surface, it's otherwise a fairly straightforward rom-com, with no pretence. There's the second-act fight, the grand romantic gesture, the sassy best friend (Peter S. Kim) and the sappy happy ending, all to tell a story about how love can cut through social mores and cultural expectations.
They're well-worn tropes but done well, and there's something to be said for showing how familiar a queer man of colour's love story can be to audiences who rarely get to see them.
But what makes A Nice Indian Boy more interesting — and surprisingly affecting — is Naveen's relationship to both his queerness and family. Unable to reconcile the two parts of him, he's self-defensively retreated from both, severing himself from his family and Jay.
Despite their instant chemistry, the two are at odds. Jay is forthcoming, free and outgoing; Naveen is guarded and self-conscious, though sweet.
Take their first date, a screening of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ), a romantic Bollywood classic so beloved that it has played daily for 30 years in a Mumbai cinema. Swept away afterwards, Jay breaks out into song on the street while Naveen winces, arms folded — somewhat entranced, but not showing it at all.
"I think a lot of people find Bollywood a little much," Jay says. "But I think it's because we're all a little embarrassed by the bigness of love."
Naveen is one of those people, struggling to move their relationship forward, or sabotaging it in strange ways, like neglecting to tell his family that Jay is white before they meet. Eager to be let into their son's life, his parents try to be accommodating the best they can. "We think it's wonderful you're white," mum Megha deadpans.
Other attempts to bridge the distance are wonderfully specific, well-studied jokes, such as the stoic dad, Archit, silently watching For The Love of DILFs. Connection is embarrassing and awkward, but everyone except Naveen is trying.
In someone else, Naveen would be a frustrating character, but Karan Soni carries the weight of his clashing shame around sexuality and culture well. You might be frustrated by Naveen but you always understand him, thanks to Soni's vulnerable performance. He gestures towards darkness that the script doesn't spell out. That discomfort within himself is present in a slouched, self-defeated shoulder or a slight nervousness but, at the same time, that never bogs down the film's zippy pace — if anything, it makes you more invested in the promise of his classic rom-com happy-ever-after.
And while Jay is perhaps a little too understanding and nice as a character, Groff glows with warmth, and the couple have a naturalness to their relationship. As Naveen's parents, Garg and Patel also make small moments, such as a cooking scene or even a smile, resonate as gestures of goodwill.
Subtle choices from Sethi and veteran cinematographer Amy Vincent add depth, too. The film is bright and inviting as a whole, somewhat nondescript, but moments — a shift to steadicam after Jay and Naveen's first fight, the unresolved tension shaking the scene as Naveen tries to avoid talking further — show thoughtfulness.
Overall, A Nice Indian Boy bleeds tenderness, which makes sense once you learn that Sethi is a queer Indian-American filmmaker (and doctor!) married to Soni, and that the two have been trying to get this film off the ground for years.
Adapted from a 2014 play by the same name, A Nice Indian Boy only found funding when Groff, the film's sole white actor, signed on. It's a shame to think that this story might not have been made, and all the more clear why its romantic gestures and speeches (which throw back to DDLJ) have so much heft to them.
Embracing tropes in full force, A Nice Indian Boy isn't embarrassed by its earnestness as Sethi and the film's cast run with the chance to tell this story, and give it their all. By the time Naveen does the same, you'll be completely enamoured too.
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Where the siblings' parents (Zarna Garg, Harish Patel) continually prod Arundhathi to get married and have kids, they actively avoid discussing Naveen's love life. As he narrates, "They know I'm gay, they just haven't seen me be gay" — and he's decided that's the best way forward, rather than confront any awkwardness. This discomfort sits undisturbed for years. After the wedding, A Nice Indian Boy zips forward six years, with Naveen now in his early 30s and having avoided serious dating, therefore never having to introduce a man to his family. Until Jay (Jonathan Groff; Frozen, Hamilton) enters. He's a cute photographer who asks Naveen on a date after a series of serendipitous meetings, including during a moment of prayer at a Hindu temple. A free-spirited artist, Jay isn't exactly the model man to win Naveen's parents' approval, least of all because he's white — surely a non-negotiable for his status-anxious parents? But Jay is the film's unconventional Nice Indian Boy — an orphan raised by Indian parents. It's a slightly clunky backstory, but one that sits as awkwardly as Jay does in Indian culture, especially now that his adoptee parents are dead. Jay's cultural heritage is A Nice Indian Boy's most evident twist — on the surface, it's otherwise a fairly straightforward rom-com, with no pretence. There's the second-act fight, the grand romantic gesture, the sassy best friend (Peter S. Kim) and the sappy happy ending, all to tell a story about how love can cut through social mores and cultural expectations. They're well-worn tropes but done well, and there's something to be said for showing how familiar a queer man of colour's love story can be to audiences who rarely get to see them. But what makes A Nice Indian Boy more interesting — and surprisingly affecting — is Naveen's relationship to both his queerness and family. Unable to reconcile the two parts of him, he's self-defensively retreated from both, severing himself from his family and Jay. Despite their instant chemistry, the two are at odds. Jay is forthcoming, free and outgoing; Naveen is guarded and self-conscious, though sweet. Take their first date, a screening of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ), a romantic Bollywood classic so beloved that it has played daily for 30 years in a Mumbai cinema. Swept away afterwards, Jay breaks out into song on the street while Naveen winces, arms folded — somewhat entranced, but not showing it at all. "I think a lot of people find Bollywood a little much," Jay says. "But I think it's because we're all a little embarrassed by the bigness of love." Naveen is one of those people, struggling to move their relationship forward, or sabotaging it in strange ways, like neglecting to tell his family that Jay is white before they meet. Eager to be let into their son's life, his parents try to be accommodating the best they can. "We think it's wonderful you're white," mum Megha deadpans. Other attempts to bridge the distance are wonderfully specific, well-studied jokes, such as the stoic dad, Archit, silently watching For The Love of DILFs. Connection is embarrassing and awkward, but everyone except Naveen is trying. In someone else, Naveen would be a frustrating character, but Karan Soni carries the weight of his clashing shame around sexuality and culture well. You might be frustrated by Naveen but you always understand him, thanks to Soni's vulnerable performance. He gestures towards darkness that the script doesn't spell out. That discomfort within himself is present in a slouched, self-defeated shoulder or a slight nervousness but, at the same time, that never bogs down the film's zippy pace — if anything, it makes you more invested in the promise of his classic rom-com happy-ever-after. And while Jay is perhaps a little too understanding and nice as a character, Groff glows with warmth, and the couple have a naturalness to their relationship. As Naveen's parents, Garg and Patel also make small moments, such as a cooking scene or even a smile, resonate as gestures of goodwill. Subtle choices from Sethi and veteran cinematographer Amy Vincent add depth, too. The film is bright and inviting as a whole, somewhat nondescript, but moments — a shift to steadicam after Jay and Naveen's first fight, the unresolved tension shaking the scene as Naveen tries to avoid talking further — show thoughtfulness. Overall, A Nice Indian Boy bleeds tenderness, which makes sense once you learn that Sethi is a queer Indian-American filmmaker (and doctor!) married to Soni, and that the two have been trying to get this film off the ground for years. Adapted from a 2014 play by the same name, A Nice Indian Boy only found funding when Groff, the film's sole white actor, signed on. It's a shame to think that this story might not have been made, and all the more clear why its romantic gestures and speeches (which throw back to DDLJ) have so much heft to them. Embracing tropes in full force, A Nice Indian Boy isn't embarrassed by its earnestness as Sethi and the film's cast run with the chance to tell this story, and give it their all. By the time Naveen does the same, you'll be completely enamoured too.
