A Nice Indian Boy

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.

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.

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.

A Nice Indian Boy surprised me with how genuinely heartfelt and grounded it felt. The film doesn't try too hard-it just lets its characters breathe, and in doing so, it creates something tender and relatable.

The story strikes a delicate balance between cultural tradition and personal identity without feeling heavy-handed. What really stood out was the sincerity of the performances-there's warmth, humor, and real emotional depth, especially in the quieter moments.

It's a film about love, yes, but also about family, expectations, and the messy, beautiful process of learning how to be true to yourself. I appreciated that it didn't wrap everything up too neatly, yet still left me with a sense of hope.

Not every beat is perfect, and some scenes could've been tighter or more dynamic-but overall, it's a story that stays with you in a gentle, meaningful way.

Bottom line: Thoughtful, well-acted, and quietly moving. Definitely worth watching.