Film Review: A Nice Indian Boy

A Nice Indian Boy
Director: Roshan Sethi
Levantine Films, Wayfarer Studios
Release: 04.04.2025

As a lover of romantic comedies, I want to say that the world of rom-coms is expansive and diverse, but we all know that’s a lie. Rather, if you were to look up a list of  “iconic rom-coms,” I can all but guarantee that you would have to go through at least 15 movies to find one that features a person of color and probably another 20 to find one that features a queer relationship. While nowadays, LGBTQ+ media has flourished with shows and movies like Heartstopper, and Fire Island, there is still a long way to go. That is where A Nice Indian Boy enters the rom-com pantheon and delivers all the familiar feelings of your classic rom-com, but with a personality of its own. 

A Nice Indian Boy follows the relationship between Naveen Gavaskar (Karan Soni, Deadpool, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse), an Indian-American doctor, and Jay Kurundkar (Jonathan Groff, Frozen, Hamilton), a white photographer who was adopted by Indian parents. Despite Naveen’s shyness and Jay’s extroverted nature, the two hit it off. After dating for some time, they decide to get married, and they don’t want just any wedding — they want a big Indian wedding, complete with the 7 circles, dancing and a huge reception with all their loved ones. The only thing to do before that is to have Jay meet Naveen’s parents, Archit Gavaskar (Harish Patel, Eternals) and Megha Gavaskar (Zarna Garg), and sister Arundhathi Gavaskar (Sunita Mani, Death of  Unicorn, GLOW). Seems easy enough, who am I kidding? It’s a rom-com, it never is. Instead of going with the typical coming out storyline, A Nice Indian Boy gives the characters typical rom-com struggles, like meeting the in-laws, planning a wedding and communicating effectively with your partner. Naveen’s fear of standing out and taking up space becomes an all too relatable obstacle in his relationship with Jay and the resolution leads to some truly heartwarming moments. 

The film has so many highlights, starting with the main cast. Each actor brings a sweet and humorous charm to their characters while nailing the emotional moments. Each character feels fleshed out and human. I specifically want to shout out Garg for her wonderful performance as the compassionate yet traditional Megha ––– you wouldn’t believe this is her debut film. Her delivery of each lines immediately tells you all you need to know about her character. Of course, no good rom-com is complete without chemistry, and Groff and Soni definitely deliver on that front. The two leads share a tender and sweet connection that emphasizes a point of the film: not all relationships look the same and I don’t just mean their outward appearance, but that couples show their affection in different ways, some perform grand gestures, and others prefer quiet moments next to their significant others, and sometimes it’s a little bit of both. The blend of modern sensibilities and a love for Hindi culture and Bollywood gives this film a unique perspective. 

I want to touch on the direction of the film. The title cards at the beginning of each act are a fun little embellishment that shows the film’s playful personality. Sethi truly went above and beyond to make this movie feel warm. The contrast from the harsh lights in Naveen’s job, to the warmer tones onscreen when he is with Jay makes the film feel comforting, like a warm hug –– and isn’t that what all the best rom-coms should feel like? 

A Nice Indian Boy is a sincere, sweet, colorful flick. It gives you all the warm fuzzies you hope for when you go into a rom-com. I won’t be afraid to admit that there were moments when I nearly teared up. From Naveen’s second proposal, to Jay bonding with his in-laws, to the ending dance sequence, there was no way I wouldn’t feel something well up. Lots of laughs and no shortage of sweet moment definitely makes A Nice Indian Boy a movie worth seeing. Check it out and pair it with The Wedding Banquet for a queer Asian-American rom-com double feature. —Angela Garcia

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