A Nice Indian Boy

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!

Not so sure about the "boy" part, but he's definitely Nice. Hilarious, smart and deep to boot.

I swear I spent half this movie laughing and the other, in tears. It's not the most original, funniest or heartfelt romcom I've seen...it was just plain REAL.

I had no idea former Taxi Driver of Deadpool Karan Soni could carry a movie. And while he does seem like the main character, really this was a major ensemble cast. All with perfect chemistry and, again, realism. Each character truly had to go through an arc. They did, very successfully.

No coming out story here. It's already long-since established Naveen (Karan Soni) is both single and out to his family. Eventually, he meets Jay and this would surely prove love-at-first-sight for me. Of course, there's gonna be bumps - Note: those awesome arcs.

I loved this movie. Again, it's not groundbreaking and won't change cinema. It's just incredibly funny, mostly thanks to Karan Soni and his deadpan looks that say a thousand words.

I bought this movie completely cold - with the exception of knowing it's about an Indian Family, a white boyfriend and LGBTQ+ themes. I'm glad I did. I would very much like to rewatch this multiple more times.

And I hope Karan Soni will get more big roles. He really has genius comedic timing.

***

Final Thoughts: On a personal level, yeah, yeah, it does help I already had a major crush on Karan Soni since I saw him in Deadpool 1. In fact, he was a highlight in that movie already jam-packed with hundreds of highs. He was both cute, charismatic and enormously funny. Was? Sorry, definitely still is.

"You know how things always get super weird whenever anything gay comes up? Well, I just thought I'd put everyone at ease by mentioning my white, Hindu, orphan, artist boyfriend. Mom? Dad? Do you want another son... who's white?"

I smiled from ear to ear from beginning to end. Well, with the exception of a few moments that I won't spoil here. It's nice to be reminded to watch films like this more often - films that are simply meant to make you feel good. There are no villains in this story, only the most lovely people you ever knew, who only mean well.

I adored everything from the ridiculously charming cast to the Bollywood soundtrack to the overly-sweet in-your-face message... because it was delivered with so much heart and care. I love how it pretty quickly morphed into something other else than a love story between two people but between a group of people. Rom-coms, I never spoke badly of you and if I did, I did not mean it.

Oh, and it's funny.

Oh, and it also has Sunita Mani, which is a nice bonus.

From other reviews it seems this wasn't as universally adored as I'd have expected (homophobes aside)... but being the white half of a Pakistani (not Indian, admittedly) and White gay relationship - this struck so many chords that I was legit ugly crying at the end. That term is something I've never fully understood until now, but when the Mum is giving her speech and sort of alludes to hers and the Dad's relationship - I understood the phrase. My dog was alarmed by the gasping for air through the sobs.

I actually related way more to the Indian guy than the white guy, basically having an inert issue with showing emotion in front of family. So where some reviewers struggled with Karan Soni's performance, to me it was a very realistic part of his character. Him and Groff's juxtaposed personalities may not have the same chemistry shown in some on-screen relationships but they had the type of chemistry that befits these 2 types of characters, imo. Maybe one or 2 more scenes when they first move in together would've helped people buy into their love (I actually have no idea, the director did a great job imo and knows what he's doing).

Another reviewer criticised that there was no conflict. There IS conflict, but it comes from a realistic part of Soni's character development. It's not forced for the sake of it.

Bravo to literally everyone involved.

I love, love, LOVE this movie.

"A Nice Indian Boy" is the warm hug of a film we didn't know we desperately needed.

It's tender, hilarious, and deeply heartfelt - a love story that doesn't just center queerness, but roots it in culture, tradition, and family in a way that feels authentic rather than tokenized. Karan Soni and Jonathan Groff have electric chemistry, the kind that sneaks up on you and suddenly has you grinning like a fool by the third act.

The script is sharp without trying too hard, blending laugh-out-loud moments with quiet emotional punches that land right in the chest. And let's talk about the parents - nuanced, endearing, and refreshingly real. No cardboard villains here, just humans trying to make sense of a rapidly changing world.

In a time when representation still feels like a checkbox for most studios, A Nice Indian Boy feels like a film made with genuine love - love for its characters, love for its culture, and love for queer people trying to carve out space in the mess of tradition and identity.

Final verdict: A total gem. Add it to your must-watch list immediately. Then rewatch it with your mom.