A Nice Indian Boy

Naveem is a young man of Indian / Hindu heritage, working as a doctor. 6 years earlier, as his sister gives up her career to wed (parent introduced) a nice Indian boy, everyone is telling Naveem he is next. A mild problem is that Naveem is gay. His parents have different reactions - his father doesn't want to talk about it, while his mother overcompensates, obsessed with watching Out TV.

Jay (Jonathan Groff) is an orphan adopted and raised by (now deceased) Hindu parents, and is currently a freelance photographic artist. Naveem 1st spots Jay at temple, where they are praying to Ganesh, and soon after meets him as the hospital's ID photographer. A relationship develops, as they bond over the Bollywood classic Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. However, when Naveem introduces Jay to his parents, he tries too hard to not upset them, causing friction with Jay.

It took me some time to realize that the action took place somewhere in the Indian diaspora community in the west. The location is unstated, though it was shot in British Columbia, Canada. I was also puzzling over the foster parent / adoption situation of Jay, and the aversion to the 9/11 date for the planned same-sex wedding.

There are references to the Indian culture, especially the practice of (semi-) arranged marriage, and the adaptions required.

The set decorations are tightly packed. It is no accident that there are various images of Ganesh. Also, a family photo of Jay's is included in Jay's art exhibition, which features male erotica.

This is a worthwhile new take on the gay rom-com genre.

After the okayish first act, I thought A Nice Indian Boy would end up being another one of those films that uses its Indianness as just a quirky, funny after-thought. But fear not, both the writing and performances soar in the second and third acts, with the central romance coming across as reflective for the other couples in the movie. The Bollywood-isms (specifically DDLJ, the movie) are not used as a means of loudness and exuberance; it was nice to see the key characters dissect a 30-year-old film for whatever reasons.

Karan Soni and Jonathan Groff are excellent as the gay couple, while there's plenty of support from the likes of Sunita Mani (big fan), Zarna Garg (new fan), Harish Patel, and Peter S Kim. Zarna and Harish, especially, shine in the film's final act where their characters break shackles and display greater depth. The funny lines keep coming, the emotions land well, and the conclusion is the kind that'll make you tear up with joy. Here's a film where both the ROM and the COM are equally well-cooked.

What a lovely little movie. Another Queer romance with happily ever after, and that made me happy too!

I think lots of South Asians will relate to many of the situations shown in the movie, be it being South Asian and gay, be it the worried but avoiding the gay topic father, the stereotypical mother who has two different rules for her son and daughter, the parent pleaser daughter and her woes of being in a loveless marriage, society's expectations and unwanted involvement, there were many of those moments. And all were acted out beautifully.

The two things i was disappointed with, lack of Jay's character development because u get to know him as an adopted white guy with indian parents who wants a big indian wedding, which he tells Naveen on the very first date. It's like he sought Naveen out because he is Indian and that means he can have a big indian wedding. And that's it, throughout the movie Jay was all bout trying to be part of Naveen's family. Also the overdose of DDLJ didn't sit well with me.

Other than that, it was a lovely watch because the actors made it a lovely watch. Hope to see some more of happy queer movies in upcoming days.

Rarely does a film come along that is as effortlessly charming, deeply heartfelt, and laugh-out-loud funny as A Nice Indian Boy. This beautifully crafted romantic dramedy takes a fresh, sincere, and utterly delightful look at love, family, and cultural expectations-all wrapped in a warm, feel-good package that will leave audiences smiling long after the credits roll.

Directed with an intimate yet playful touch, the film follows Naveen, a young Indian-American man whose picture-perfect romance with the charismatic and kindhearted Keshav is complicated by one thing-convincing his traditional parents that this is, indeed, their nice Indian boy. What unfolds is a story brimming with wit, warmth, and moments of pure emotional resonance as Naveen and Keshav navigate family, tradition, and the beautifully messy journey of love.

A joyful, poignant, and utterly captivating film, A Nice Indian Boy is a triumph-one that deserves to be celebrated and cherished.

I learned about this film from social media a few months ago after a film festival, so I decided to watch it on opening weekend. I expected a cute, but maybe not particularly interesting rom-com, with a dash of the immigrant family wackiness of so many comedic films. Paying for this movie ticket was the best investment in mental health of the past six months, and I'm delighted to say this movie is nearly perfect. The script is very good, based on a play that I later learned is loved by the U. S. South Asian community. The direction is simply stellar and allows the excellent writing and inspired performances to breathe and reach the audience. The delineation of the script into clear parts, each of which (in some sense) represent the typical act structures of films is clever, especially because in many ways the conflicts and resolutions happen in unexpected places within that structure. I loved the performances by the romantic couple, and the family, which is in many ways the "entity" one half of the romantic couple has to win over, and the entity the other half of the couple must be won by, if that makes any sense. For queer immigrants, or queer children of immigrants from cultures that cultural researchers call collectivist and family-centered, this film will speak loudly and make them feel seen and understood. There are some very special moments between each member of the family and the members of the romantic couple, and in some ways, the audience. In my screening, one particular speech by one family member had the whole room sniffling in suppressed tears. The best part is that all the touching parts of the film are elegant, not schmaltzy or cheesy, and they are well-balanced with hilarious moments and clever humor. The characters could have been caricatures and stereotypes, and the film revels in preventing that, creating fully realized people whose behavior and feelings are explained by motivations and experiences that are not immediately evident. Congratulations to the whole production team, cast, and everyone involved. Thank you for such a beautiful film!