“A Nice Indian Boy” is a romantic comedy film that brings an unexpected twist to the typical Indian love story genres. The storyline centers around Naveen (Karan Soni), who is portrayed as a desirable partner for a woman - he is attractive, articulate, and a practicing doctor. However, he is gay, and his love interest is not the ‘nice Indian boy’ usually expected, but Jay (Jonathan Groff), a white man who was raised in Naveen's culture. This deviation from traditional values is what adds an interesting slant in director Roshan Sethi's third movie.
Despite these unconventional aspects, the movie does not attempt to subvert all pre-existing cliches and traditions. It incorporates elements from classic romantic comedies that were previously not accessible to characters of color or those who identify as queer. The film smartly uses these conventions by referencing Bollywood, in particular the ‘90s classic “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge”, to provide its characters their happy ending.
"A Nice Indian Boy" also delves into cross-generational family politics and the root of Indian social attitudes. The drama begins to unfold during the wedding of Naveen’s older sister Arundhathi (Sunita Mani) to an acceptable Indian man. Being gay, Naveen has kept himself distanced from his progressive yet not fully accepting family, who value him less than his married, albeit childless, sister.
When Naveen meets the charming and respectful Jay, he begins to question his own judgments and misconception about his family and their attitudes towards him. The script by Eric Randall (adapting a stage play by Madhuri Shekar) shines a light on the preconceived notions held by Naveen about his family, drawing a nuanced image of an Indian American family caught between tradition and acceptance.
In portraying a queer love story with an Indian backdrop, "A Nice Indian Boy" goes beyond just adding diversity to cinema, laying bare the struggles and triumphs of a community grappling with love, acceptance, and cultural identity.
