Naveen Gavaskar (Karan Soni) is a quiet and gentle doctor who’s spent most of his life on the sidelines. What he wants most is to find love and celebrate that love; but while he’s out to his family and accepted by them, he’s yet to find a man to bring home. A Nice Indian Boy, in his family’s terms. That is until he meets Jay Kurundkar (Jonathan Groff) while praying at a temple. Jay is a white man adopted by Indian parents, and his confidence and respectful nature immediately catch Naveen’s attention.
Naveen and Jay fall fast for one another and their romance is a whirlwind through the traditional milestones and towards marriage. The main storyline really kicks into high gear when Naveen finally introduces Jay to his family and they begin to plan their big Indian wedding. While you might be expecting family shenanigans (of which, there are certainly many), there is also a lot of emotional depth that takes Naveen’s family on a journey of healing, learning, and love.
This movie surprised me. I went in expecting a happy-go-lucky rom-com but was met with so much more. Naveen is a lovable dreamer who challenges romantic lead tropes: he doesn’t shout his love from the rooftops and often lets his shyness get the better of him, but he also doesn’t have to become loud or assertive to open up his heart. Jay is a sweet and optimistic love interest, pulling Naveen out of his shell with his infectious charm. Soni and Groff have solid chemistry and complement one another; Jay’s openness when meeting Naveen’s family is all at once admirable and mildly stressful (if you’re from an emotionally repressed family, the second-hand embarrassment is real, y’all).
Naveen’s mom Megha (Zarna Garg) is strong-willed but deeply caring, always trying to adapt and get involved in her own way. Garg is a wonderful blend of funny and endearing. Family patriarch, Archit (Harish Patel) is much like his son—quiet and sincere, often unable to talk about his feelings or overtly show support. His emotional growth in this story is bittersweet, especially if you’ve had a parent in your life who you’ve never fully been able to connect with. The parents’ attempts to learn and accept Naveen and Jay form the beating heart of this story and show you that age and culture aren’t an excuse.
Naveen’s sister Arundhathi (Sunita Mani), meanwhile, perfectly highlights the differences between mother-daughter relationships and mother-son relationships; Arundhathi’s reaction to Naveen’s relationship is painful to watch because of the emotional layers Mani brings to it. Arundhathi has her own motives and feelings that power her actions, making her a great force to push Naveen and the rest of the family to be better. The exploration of social and cultural traditions—and how to incorporate and update them—is surprisingly beautiful.
A Nice Indian Boy captures your heart with the different kinds of love—romantic, familial, friendship, and everything in between. In its 96-minute runtime, you’re taken on a poignant journey about how that love can change people and triumph over everything. I wish it had a little more time to explore all the themes; the pacing and cuts make it feel a little rushed, but with so much ground to cover, it’s understandable. And just like real life, it’s often laugh-out-loud funny—the one-liners are everything, particularly from the older generations. Also, shoutout to Peter S. Kim as Naveen’s friend and colleague Paul, who keeps it a little too real, always.
The Bollywood references to Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge1 and upending of traditionally straight rom-com tropes add a dynamic twist and keep it light, paralleling Naveen’s daydreams of a happily-ever-after in a fun way. It’s really healing to watch a queer romance meet traditional cultures to create a joyful celebration of love; A Nice Indian Boy is a sweet and layered rom-com treat for everyone to enjoy.
Watch A Nice Indian Boy in theaters on April 4.
- starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol ↩︎
