The critically acclaimed and audience applauded, A Nice Indian Boy is available to stream now and we say “Go Click Play Now”. Directed by Roshan Sethi, the film was written by Eric Randall, based on the play by Madhuri Shekar. A Nice Indian Boy features incredible performances by Karan Soni and Jonathan Groff. The film also boasts an outstanding supporting cast, including Sunita Mani, Zarna Garg, Harish Patel, Peter S. Kim, and Sas Goldberg.
Our story begins with a meet-cute that turns, as love stories are wont to do, into a beautiful journey, at times fraught with tension, but also full of heart, all reaching for a happily ever after (HEA). Naveen is a self-effacing, soft-spoken doctor with a boisterous mother, Megha, seemingly perfect sister, Arundhathi, and quiet father, Archit. The Gavaskars are outwardly accepting of Naveen’s sexuality but have never had to confront it in practice. Then Naveen (Karan Soni) meets Jay Kurundkar (Jonathan Groff), a white man adopted by two Indian parents. Naveen’s closed-off life is slowly opened to more as he is charmed and softened by Jay’s sincerity and confidence. They fall in love. Now, Jay, who has no family of his own, must meet the Gavaskars, but the problem is that Naveen had not shared anything about Jay. This ‘meet the parents’ situation causes a collision between the family, Jay, who has his own insecurities, and Naveen, caught between who he is with his family and who he is outside of it. Sadly, the family and the love story fall apart after comic misunderstandings, fights, and emotional revelations. Naveen and Jay’s love causes each of the Gavaskars to face the reality of their individual relationships. Happily, though, through a sweetly woven reconciliation, the family reunites to plan Naveen and Jay’s big, Indian wedding.
The film is deep, funny, moving, and pure Pyaar—it has everything that makes a movie good. Presented in four acts, with a very cool touch of title cards, the progression from the meet-cute and that first spark in the eye to the love story unfolding, to the black moment, to use romance book terms, where all seemed lost, to the final Big Fat Bollywood Gay Wedding—I loved every moment.
One of the things I liked the most about this film is that the focus is on watching two people falling in love. The essence of their being a gay couple is both primary and secondary. It is who they are and their experiences, emotions, and self are focused on as they fall in love, but it is also presented as just life. A true love story about Naveen and Jay. It is a beautiful exploration of love, family, searching, and trying to find what it means to be really happy in life. It is a tale told so well that I was lost in the film’s story and the feelings brought to the front, both Naveen’s and Jay’s, but the family as well.
This dialed-in film that seems a focused study, but really encompasses a whole world of life and love, is incredible.
Courtesy of Levantine Films – Karan Soni as Naveen Gavaskar, Jonathan Groff as Jay
Kurundkar
Karan Soni is fabulous as Naveen. His almost timid, ‘I don’t want to take up space in the world’, felt so true, but the emotion he was able to convey with his eyes, even before he met Jay, told the tale of a man who wants more, wants connection, wants life. As you see him come more into his own, find his love, and grasp his hand, Karan changes so much that there is more light and life in his entire being. I applaud him.
Jonathan Groff is vulnerable, dramatic, and perfect as Jay. He, too, speaks so much with his eyes. You can literally feel he just wants a family, love, Naveen, and a happily ever after. Every moment he plays is pitch-perfect. He is absolutely brilliant.
Zarna Garg, in her debut feature film, is terrific. She fiercely plays this strong, protective mom character, but shows her heart in her speech at the wedding, which was so well done. Sunita Mani, as Naveen’s sister, has quite an arc to go through herself, and she is this character; she is not playing this character. I especially loved the scene between mother and daughter. They both added to the excellence of this film.
Harish Patel as the father was probably one of my favorite performances. He is quiet, but his true passion, strength, and feeling he has for his family were felt in every moment. When he talks to Jay in the kitchen, I actually teared up. His reaction to the wedding speech was so subtle but so true. He was outstanding in this role.
The only negative, and it is not much of one, is that I wish Jonathan Groff’s “white-orphan-artist” character had been more deeply studied. We got snippets of his life before, and I feel like it would have added so much more if the picture painted of him as the son of Indian parents and the picture of his life now were more in color. We know he desperately wanted to be a part of a family, without him ever saying so, it was in his entire expression, but there was so much more depth to him that could have been explored. It felt like a missed opportunity, or that some scenes ended on the proverbial cutting room floor.
I am a huge Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) fan. In fact, it was the first Bollywood movie I ever saw, so seeing it in this context and world just made me smile. I knew what that film was from the first clang of the bell. And I never had Jonathan Groff singing ‘Tujhe Dekha To’ on my bingo card, but oh, how I loved it. There is another DDLJ scene that is included that I don’t want to spoil, but have to say it was so perfect and made the HEA even better.
I enjoyed A Nice Indian Boy so much that I wish it had been Bollywood length, with the intermission and everything. I would love to see that version, too.
A Nice Indian Boy is charming, funny, emotional, and oh so heartfelt. It is just a wonderful expression of love in all its forms: family love, friendship love, and true, happily ever after love. There is more to say, but I want you to experience and Come…fall in love (IYKYN) with this wonderful story yourself. I highly recommend A Nice Indian Boy, which is now available to rent or buy at home nationwide on digital platforms.
