A Nice Indian Boy: Simple Indie Romcom Charm

Romantic comedies are a subgenre that audiences often find themselves falling back on. There is something comforting about them when done correctly. As of late, many more audiences have gotten to experience that feeling as romantic comedies have become more and more representative with new audiences getting to see themselves and their stories reflected on screen. That being said, while the faces and the stories change, the essence stays the same. This fact remains the same with A Nice Indian Boy, for better or worse. More so a romantic dramedy than a pure romantic comedy, the film boosts representation, delivering an Indian LGBT story that may have its heart in the right place, though comes in an overly familiar package. While it will undeniably be a comfort to some, it will be predictable and just more of the same for the rest. However, for what it lacks in unfamiliarity, it makes up for in charm and absolute cuteness. Meanwhile, primarily known as a supporting character actor across film and television, actor Karan Soni shines as the lead (reuniting with director Roshan Sethi after 2021’s underrated COVID-19 romcom 7 Days), bringing much of the same endearing neurotic energy audiences are used to seeing but he is not alone as the rest of the cast, also including Jonathan Groff, deliver such a fun dynamic.

A Nice Indian Boy is centered around Naveen Gavaskar (Soni), a modest and mild-mannered doctor with a proclivity to fade in the background behind the exploits of his boisterous family led by his seemingly perfect sister Arundhathi (Mani), his lively mother Megha (Zarna Garg), and his quiet father Archit (Harish Patel). An out gay man, his family went out of their way to show their acceptance of Naveen’s sexuality but never had to confront the reality of what it truly meant. As it often does, his life was turned upside down upon meeting Jay Kurundkar (Groff), a professional photographer and white man adopted by two Indian parents in his teens. Falling for his irresistible charm and confidence, Jay slowly helped Naveen break out of his shell as the two fell in love. However, a major obstacle proved to be the latter’s family, and Naveen’s inability to tell them about Jay. Walking a tightrope, he found himself living two different lives, one with Jay, and the other with his family. Now it shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise that something had to give here, leading to the conclusion everyone can see coming from a mile away. Where it ultimately thrives, is the little expected moments along the way.

No longer with parents of his own, the meeting between Jay and Naveen’s parents was only a matter of time and once that dinner came to be, fireworks ensued as the prospects of their relationship finally felt real. Each bringing their own insecurities to the table, bouts of halftime turbulence set the stage for plenty of introspection and self-reflection along the story’s ride back up to its predictable destination. Built on misunderstandings, little fights, and stunning emotional revelations, this turbulence left Jay and the Gavaskars broken up, it was not anything they couldn’t easily overcome over time. With a short running time of just over the 90-minute mark, the film is quite the breeze, relying more on romcom tropes than leaning into a premise that could have helped to better set it apart against other romcoms. One one side, there’s Naveen, the charming and relatable lead looking for love and the big Indian weddings of his dreams, and then there’s Jay, whose whiteness comes off as more of a gimmick than anything else an easy to way to introduce conflict to the story. However, in reality, this proved to not be much of a conflict. Had it been more of one, leading to a more nuanced exploration of Jay’s unique upbringing, it would have been more interesting, instead of taking the safe way out.

All things considered, A Nice Indian Boy shines off the strength of its performances and the dynamic created by the strong chemistry of its cast, led by the effortlessly likeable Soni. Perfectly cast as Naveen, he encapsulates what it means to be a character needing to come out of their shell, on top of dealing with the pressures of an overbearing family and finding love. Essentially, an opposites attract story, Groff holds his own on the other end of that dynamic, despite Jay existing solely to push Naveen. The two have great chemistry together, but it’s a shame that they did not get nearly enough time to show it. Delivering on the cuteness front is Garg and Patel as Naveen’s parents, Megha and Archit. Characters who mean well but are not necessarily prepared to deal with what was happening, their energy, especially from the former, bring the film a fun energy.

In the end, A Nice Indian Boy is a nice indie romcom that may not bring anything new to the table but to make up for that, delivers a comforting charm.

still courtesy of Wayfarer Studios

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.