If you’re like me, always hoping for a South Asian rom-com that doesn’t feel like it was written with a checklist of clichés, A Nice Indian Boy is the 2025 surprise I didn’t know I needed—and now can’t stop thinking about.
Directed by Roshan Sethi and based on Madhuri Shekar’s stage play, this warm, funny, and surprisingly emotional film does what few queer South Asian stories on screen manage: it doesn’t center itself around coming out. Instead, it explores what happens after—the awkward silences, the cultural friction, the inability to communicate vulnerability even with the best of intentions.
🌸 The Setup
Naveen Gavaskar (Karan Soni) is a gay Indian-American doctor, socially awkward but lovable, and already out to his family. That in itself feels like a relief—no dramatic tearful confession, no exile from the family WhatsApp group. His mom (Zarna Garg) is leaning into her ally era by binge-watching Out TV, and his dad (Harish Patel) avoids the subject like it’s a bad cricket score. But even with that groundwork laid, Naveen’s life is far from figured out.
When he meets Jay (Jonathan Groff)—a white man adopted by Indian parents, fluent in Hindi, and surprisingly comfortable at the mandir—they instantly connect over chai, film references, and Bollywood’s holy grail: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. But the real challenge begins when Naveen brings Jay home and promptly… doesn’t say much at all.
What follows is not a typical will-they-won’t-they. It’s a deeper question: what does it mean to bring someone into your family when your family doesn’t really talk about feelings?
🎭 The Characters That Make It Work
Let’s talk casting. Karan Soni delivers one of his most nuanced performances—his Naveen is awkward, yes, but always earnest, always trying. Jonathan Groff brings a gentle steadiness to Jay, though his character could’ve been given more depth beyond “adopted and patient.” Still, the chemistry between the two works, especially in the film’s quieter moments.
But it’s the supporting cast that elevates this film.
- Zarna Garg (yes, the stand-up comic!) nails the mom-who-wants-to-be-cool-but-is-definitely-overdoing-it vibe.
- Harish Patel is outstanding as the emotionally avoidant father who still manages to break your heart in a single look.
- Sunita Mani as Arundhathi, Naveen’s sister, absolutely steals her scenes. Her subplot—ending her arranged marriage after realizing she’s invisible in it—is one of the most sensitive and powerful arcs I’ve seen in a South Asian rom-com. She’s fiery, frustrated, and fully realized.
Peter S. Kim’s Paul, Naveen’s flamboyant work bestie, brings some needed laughs without ever veering into caricature.
🎬 Final Thoughts
A Nice Indian Boy is the kind of film I was worried would fall into every predictable trope. But instead, it surprised me. It gave me characters who felt real—flawed, funny, emotionally guarded, and deeply relatable. It honored the nuance of Indian families without turning them into punchlines. And it offered something that felt rare: joy. Not performative, not sanitized. Just real, imperfect joy.
Jay’s backstory—adopted by Indian parents, now passed—was compelling, though I wish the film had explored it more. His knowledge of traditions, his accent, and his ease in Indian spaces aren’t questioned, but that’s a good thing. A Nice Indian Boy doesn’t go out of its way to explain identity to the audience—it simply lives in it.
This is hands down my favorite film of 2025 so far. If you’re queer, South Asian, or just tired of the same love story on loop—this one’s for you.
