Naveen’s mother never had any doubts about his sister Arundhathi’s future—no matter how many boyfriends she’d cycled through in college, she’d eventually end up married to, as their mother put it, “a nice Indian boy.” And so, at 25, Naveen (Karan Soni) finds himself at the wedding of his sister (Sunita Mani), watching Arundhathi fulfill that destiny with a future orthopedic surgeon. Meanwhile, he fields an endless chorus of guests telling him, “Next one of these, it’ll be your wedding.”
There’s just one problem: as Naveen wryly observes, “Just one concern—what will it look like when I bring home a nice Indian boy?” It’s a strong, playful opening to “A Nice Indian Boy,” directed by Roshan Sethi and adapted from Madhuri Shekar’s stage play. The film knows exactly what it is—an unabashedly sweet and predictable romance, its charms lying not in reinvention but in sincerity. And to overanalyze it would be to miss the point entirely.
Finding Love in Familiar Places, Strength in Predictability
Cut to six years later, and Naveen, now a doctor, has his answer. While getting his hospital ID photo taken, he locks eyes with Jay (Jonathan Groff), a photographer he’d seen praying at the temple the night before. Sparks fly, leading to a first date watching “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge”—a meta touch, given how much this film borrows from Bollywood’s grand romantic tradition.
Jay, as it turns out, was adopted by Indian parents, which explains both his temple visit and his deep-rooted affinity for Bollywood musicals. He’s all sunshine and optimism, a rom-com lead in both spirit and execution. By contrast, Naveen—ever the pragmatist—approaches their relationship with the weariness of a man who’s been bracing for disappointment his entire life.
Their relationship follows the blueprint of a classic romantic comedy: meet-cute, whirlwind courtship, minor misunderstandings, emotional roadblocks, and a final act resolution. The film never pretends to be anything more than this, nor does it need to be. If anything, the sheer familiarity of its structure serves a larger function—its ordinariness is the point. “A Nice Indian Boy” treats its love story not as a radical statement but as something that should be obvious: a romance as simple and saccharine as any other, existing without justification. There’s a quiet significance in that.
Between Acknowledgment and Acceptance
That’s not to say it completely sidesteps the cultural realities of its characters. Indian families, especially those of an older generation, often operate in a space between acknowledgment and acceptance when it comes to homosexuality. Naveen’s family knows he’s gay, including his father (Harish Patel), who gives the movie one of its most emotional moments when he spends one afternoon in the kitchen with Jay after visiting the latter’s gallery exhibit and seeing the portrait of Jay and his adoptive Indian parents.
However, knowing Naveen is gay and seeing his sexuality are two different things. Fortunately, Sethi tackles this in an endearing way. One of the film’s best touches is its depiction of his family’s awkward but well-meaning attempts to ‘understand’ his sexuality. His mother (Zarna Garg), for instance, calls him while he’s at work to ask if he’s seen the movie “Milk,” before recounting the entire plot to him over the phone as though this alone might unlock a deeper understanding of his life.
It’s funny, yes, but it’s also telling—there’s an effort made, however clumsy. And for many in the community, even that small step is more than they’ve been granted.
‘A Nice Indian Boy’: A Romance That Stays in the Shallow End
This is where “A Nice Indian Boy” finds its heart—not in the grand romantic overtures, but in these smaller, more complicated moments of familial negotiation. Sethi doesn’t push these tensions too far, choosing instead to keep things light. Even so, the film’s portrait of a family moving from tolerance toward genuine acceptance is still meaningful. If Naveen’s story doesn’t break new ground, it at least carves out a space for a version of queer love that is wholly domestic and deeply familiar. It asks for nothing more than what its title suggests: a nice boy from a nice family, looking for his nice ending.
That ending arrives in the expected way, neatly tying up every conflict with a bow. Problems arise out of comical misunderstandings and petty fights, but resolution is never far behind.
While this makes for a pleasant, easy watch, it also means that “A Nice Indian Boy” rarely lingers in the messier spaces where its story might have deepened. Naveen and Jay’s differences in temperament are a source of occasional friction, but those tensions get smoothed over quick. And while the film acknowledges the cultural tensions that hover over their relationship, it rarely challenges those notions. At times, the film feels too eager to reassure, skipping past complexities in favor of keeping the romance intact.
Sentimentality Without Apology
Still, there’s something impressive about a film that embraces its sentimentality so wholeheartedly. If it’s a retread, it’s at least one that understands why these stories endure. The comfort of “A Nice Indian Boy” lies in its familiarity, in its unshakable belief that love—whether it conforms to tradition or not—deserves its place in the sun. It’s not a film that demands its viewers to deconstruct it; it simply asks them to feel it. In doing so, we feel that the filmmakers created this sincere movie with real love and care for its characters.
And in the film’s best moments, that’s nice enough.
Roshan Sethi’s “A Nice Indian Boy” premiered at South by Southwest on March 12, 2024. The film will have its slated release on April 4, 2025 by Blue Harbor Entertainment. Follow us for more coverage.
