A Nice Indian Boy Review: Groff and Soni Have Off-The-Charts Chemistry

It isn’t often that we get blessed with a queer romcom that can stand up against the icons already in the annals of film history. However, A Nice Indian Boy proves that queer love stories can be just as awkward, funny, and charming as their straight counterparts.

The first interaction we get between Karan Soni’s Naveen and Jonathan Groff’s Jay takes place at the temple. We’ve already gotten a bit of backstory on Naveen as he’s told audiences about his dreams for a big, loud, Indian wedding for himself.

What makes this initial meet cute so fun is that there is clear awkwardness from Naveen, meanwhile, Jay just sits there in calm serenity, but with a twinkle in his eye. From the word go it is clear that Soni and Groff are going to be extremely believable as lovers and future husbands.

Predictability Lends Itself to Comfort and Joy

It’s clear on their first date that Naveen’s hesitation to say anything of depth or substance is going to get in the way of their budding relationship at some point. Much like all romcoms, you can see the discord a mile away.

While some people might not enjoy the predictability of this movie’s trajectory, I would argue that this is a formula that has been proven for decades. We might roll our eyes because we’ve seen it done before, but don’t we keep coming back because this type of path is exactly what we want?

Also, we have to keep in mind that as predictable as things are, this is a major step forward in terms of both LGBTQ+ and cultural representation. Often when we do get decent queer romances, they occur between two atypical white males.

With A Nice Indian Boy, we get to see traditional Indian culture come to life from both a native perspective and that of a white male who was adopted into it. This culture isn’t explored much in American cinema, but its beliefs about love, family, and connection are universal.

Told through this lens, the awkwardness of introducing a significant other to the family becomes that much more funny. We have a set of traditional Indian parents who only see a white man in front of them, not realizing that this white man can understand their criticisms spoken in Hindi.

Then there is the heartfelt moment of the father and Jay coming together under a mutual understanding of Indian cuisine, faith, and respect for family. Overall, by taking a predictable trajectory and applying it to a culturally centered queer story, the writers have shown that predictability doesn’t have to mean tired or boring.

Naveen Holds Back Too Much

One of the biggest hurdles Naveen and Jay have to face is the latter’s reserved nature. Here is Jay, an artist in every sense of the word, who lives his life big and loud. Meanwhile, Naveen has grown up in a culture filled with big, loud feelings and celebrations, and yet he can’t bring himself to be more open and honest.

A big part of that comes from Naveen’s insecurities about how his family really feels regarding his sexuality. He mentions multiple times that his parents know, but his father never talks about it.

At first, this feels like a fair assumption. However, as the movie progresses, it becomes very clear that Naveen is simply projecting his own uncomfortableness onto his family members.

One of the most monumental moments between Jay and Naveen occurs after they’ve split up (thanks to the disastrous family dinner). In this moment, Naveen reveals so much of himself by making a big, romantic gesture.

Watching him grow more comfortable with himself and his big feelings for Jay over the course of the film makes us root for them. We love seeing him learn that love doesn’t have to be scary; the bigger, the better.

Jay’s Openness Creates a Natural Balance

The big reason Jay and Naveen work is because, on paper, Jay is open, loud, and proud, while Naveen is not. However, in practice, what really gets us to care about them is the chemistry between Soni and Groff.

Jay’s character really shines because it is centered on Groff’s natural state of being. Jay exudes an easy charm, joy, and excitement about life that comes from every pore. It’s very clear that this comes to Groff without any extra work.

In fact, theatre fans who have grown up seeing Groff’s presence on stage know that Jay is very similar to Groff. Every time Jay laughs, smiles, or cries, my mind flashes back to the many interviews, performances, etc., I’ve seen from Groff over the years.

This personality marries well with Soni’s Naveen because of its natural confidence. Sure, it also creates friction between them as they get to know one another. But by the end of the film, it’s clear they’ve learned the delicate balance needed to be successful in their marriage.

A Nice Indian Boy might have moments of conflict and tears, but the general energy is love and joy. We can’t help dancing along with the family during the wedding because the energy is infectious.

Unlike many other romcoms, this one feels not only fresh and new but also more cohesive. We are left feeling grateful for the love and connections we have in our lives because love is most important, above all else.

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What did you think about this movie? Sound off in the comments, and don’t forget to leave your own rating.

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Mads Misasi

Mads is a part-time entertainment journalist and full-time marketing content creator. They love reading the latest in Queer novels -- especially romance ones and watching the latest dramas, sci-fi/fantasy, Star Wars, and romcom films/TV shows. You can join the conversation by following them on Twitter: @dorothynyc89.