A Nice Indian Boy

...so much wasted potential!

First, I'm excited that queer cinema is becoming more interracial and transcultural. These are the other stories worthy of exploring and showcasing. These intersections allow for great storytelling but alas, it's wasted here. I wrote this review as someone who is half black and Indian.

Naveen is so incredibly repressed (which is okay at first considering the cultural aspect) but the character goes nowhere. Jay's adoptive storyline could have been excluded as it brought absolutely nothing to the story. There's also no chemistry between either of them. What attracts these men to each other? What are their conversations besides awkward silence and the occasional disagreement? We see quick flashes of their dating lives which pretty much went from a snooze to a bore.

I get this was supposed to be a queer Bollywood rom-com but I'm so disappointed in the wasted potential. I only found myself mildly amused in the later 30 minutes of the film - perhaps because I saw the light at the end of the tunnel.

Most people will probably disagree with my impressions of the film, and that's okay. But I do sincerely hope that this will not be the end of these types of films - just better scripted and acted. The potential WAS there.

"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.

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.

This movie will probably grow in cult status as the perfect Indian gay rom-com. From perfect beats from longing and insecurity, to meeting the one, to dealing with the rigidities of South Asian culture in a humorous, compassionate, and yet authentic way this movie has touched my heart. The two gay leads are fantastic. And the family is perfectly cast, including the angry face of the jealous sister! This movie is the fantasy of many gay men - to be loved, to be accepted, and to be celebrated just as we are. Add to this the poignancy of Indian and Pakistani men who deal with cultural prejudice to homosexuality, which is addressed and silenced directly in this movie, and you have a rom-com standout. Go see it. It will touch your heart, no matter what your sexuality or ethnicity is. 💚

What a relief to watch a queer romcom that doesn't focus specifically on coming out. At this 2025 film's outset, the parents of the main protagonist Naveen, a competent albeit socially awkward doctor, have already accepted his identity as a gay man. The challenge is that being raised in a traditional Indian family doesn't allow any latitude for open discussions of feelings much less topics like dating, relationships, or marriage. Enter Jay, a white photographer who was raised by Indian parents, and their blossoming romance hits a major snag in Naveen's inability to share anything significant about Jay to his parents. This is where Roshan Sethi's fluid, unexpected direction and Eric Randall's smart screenplay make welcome swerves into uncomfortable territory about social and cultural acceptance and unspoken familial estrangement. The cast is extremely likable starting with Karan Soni as the constantly befuddled Naveen. He has genuine chemistry with Jonathan Groff whose natural charm as Jay feeds effectively into his open-hearted character, even though his role felt somewhat underwritten. As Naveen's parents, stand-up comic Zarna Garg and deadpan Harish Patel almost steal the film with funny, heartfelt performances that pull at the heartstrings late in the film. Peter S. Kim provides welcome comic relief as Naveen's flamboyant colleague Paul, and Sunita Mani brings a nice sharpness to Naveen's resentful sister Arundhathi. Even with obvious echoes of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", the climactic wedding scene culminates into a well executed catharsis that had me genuinely teary-eyed. Highly recommended.