'A Nice Indian Boy' review: East-meets-West with a twist on the instant rom-com classic

A poignant portrayal of family and culture, without apologizing or over-explaining, by Roshan Sethi A nice Indian boy A riotous, moving queer romantic comedy, a unique premise. While it resembles many modern third-culture narratives – notably, stories of disconnection between first-generation South Asians in the West and their immigrant parents – it expands its scope in surprising ways to reflect and reflect personal and cinematic identity.

Inspired by a romantic Bollywood classic, the film follows a gay Indian-American doctor who is nominally accepting of his parents but wants to find “a nice Indian boy”. Long story short: He does! However, the immediate gist is that this nice Indian boy is none other than Jonathan Graf – yes, HamiltonThe original King George – plays a white man raised by Indian parents.

On the one hand, A nice Indian boy It's the story of a typical Indian American family, with typical Indian American problems – a generational disconnect, gender double standards and a culture of awkward silence around sexuality – but on the other hand, its evolution is not typical of the grand romantic saga. It's also a cultural story.Adoption is not only a hilariously bad parenting comedy, but also a film about freeing oneself from emotional and generational baggage in a way that brings tears of joy and laughter.

What does a good Indian boy talk about?

Dr. Naveen Gavaskar (DeadpoolKaran Soni) is one of Hollywood's rarest realistic queer protagonists: an introverted gay man who'd rather be at home than at the club — or, in the film's opening scene, at his sister's colorful wedding reception. As the guests dance to bouncy tunes and the camera tilts and pans to capture them, Naveen sits quietly as the over-excited family members' words of wedding encouragement ring out like a dire warning: “You're next!”

What Naveen's nosy aunts and uncles don't know and his parents reluctantly accept is that his wedding won't look like a Hindi movie, as he'll be chums.

Six years pass – specifically, the time between Sethi's release and the film's premiere – and Naveen's life away from his parents is somewhat satisfying, involving lonely nights leaving exes and crushing some embarrassingly awkward voicemails. Despite the efforts of outgoing gay man Paul (Peter S. Kim) to bring him out of his shell, he's no game. But the gods smile upon him when he comes across Jai Gurundkar (Graff), a charismatic white photographer at his local. Mandir (or temple) while praying to the idol of Ganesh, the elephant-headed Hindu god of wisdom and good fortune.

Two things immediately stand out about Jay: his quiet charm and his authentic pronunciation of “Ganesh” – with a stretched “e” like “lace” rather than long “e” words like “lack.” Westerners default. Naveen is immediately dazzled by Jai's optimistic gaze, but agrees to accompany him on a date to his favorite movie, which turns out to be a surprise for the good doctor. Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (or D.D.L.J), a 1995 Bollywood romance about two star-crossed Indian Londoners, has as its musical centerpiece superstar Shah Rukh Khan serenading actress Kajol in a field of yellow mustard flowers.

But instead of being fooled by the gesture, Naveen himself is unable to fully accept the film or Jay's off-key crooning of its popular track “look at you“(Yes, Groff himself sings it out of one syllable). Even after he and Jay start dating, honesty and vulnerability remain obstacles for Naveen. It's a little complicated when they meet mutual friends, but what's worse is the question of whether Jai has met Naveen's parents, and how little she's told them about her white, freelance photographer boyfriend, who waxes poetic about Hindi cinema.

Being a single subject, the results are depressingly side-splitting A nice Indian boy takes from D.D.L.J Indian romantic films are also family dramas. However, what initially seems hopeless ends up being an amazing challenge because Jay has it Also Absorbed this lesson. And, like Shahrukh Khan's dashing Raj Malhotra, he will stop at nothing to win over his beloved's parents.

A Good Indian Boy is also a family drama.

Written by Eric Randall, the film is based on Madhuri Shekhar's play and has a five-act structure, each part broken up by significant time jumps. It ends up serving a dual purpose. On the one hand, it moves the typical feel-good rom-com climax to the middle of the story, away from its usual place in most three-act Hollywood screenplays, and serves as a resolution. In the process, A nice Indian boy Beyond the broad declarations of love, it allows the realities of long-term love and marriage planning to seep into the corners of the law.

On the other hand, it also allows each member of Naveen's family to have their own dedicated part of the film, during which they become the main character. Like Naveen, his sister Arundhati (Sunita Mani) harbors a grudge against their parents for the choices she made and didn't make while growing up, including love affairs, and she sees their increased relaxation with Naveen as a grave injustice. . Meanwhile, their outspoken mother Megha (Jharna Garg) tries to smooth things over with both the kids, but since she's just as hot as her daughter, that's easier said than done. In terms of attitude, Naveen emulates his father Archit (Harish Patel), though the tacit acceptance of Naveen's sexuality – avoiding eye contact at all costs – hurts more than outright denial. Archit, like his son, has trouble expressing himself honestly.

However, Megha and Archit's genuine attempts to bridge the gap between themselves and Naveen lead to some riotous over-indulgences between the topics they bring up in Jai's presence without any filter, and their honest attempts to educate themselves on bad reality shows on OutTV. and bringing them into conversation. It's incredibly funny And Incredibly sweet, but none of these superficial gestures – however well-meaning – are a substitute for the real emotional work required of the Gavaskar family.

Be it avoiding intimacy or the walls he keeps between him and his family members, the film doesn't let Naveen down. Those walls begin to come down only after some intense and difficult dramatic moments, which Sethi directs with incredible command.

A Nice Indian Boy is brilliantly directed.

The film's premise resembles many third-culture films and shows featuring South Asians in the West. Big bodyMs. MarvelAnd Blinded by the light. These stories of artistic first-generation kids and their immigrant parents who “don't get it” have become a staple in recent years. A fellow SXSW pick, dull Queen of my dreamsA prime example: a similarly Bollywood-inspired tale of an eccentric Pakistani Canadian nominally reconciling with his conservative mother. It's rarely a good sign that you can map the beats of a story to its cultural underpinnings. A nice Indian boy It finds many visual and thematic ways to buck that trend.

Not only does it capture the chaos and excitement that constantly unfolds around Naveen – be it weddings, family gatherings or parties thrown by Jai's outgoing friends – it stands out for its thrilling visual energy. The camera essentially pushes in and pulls out during both comedic beats and poignant emotional moments. The film's comedy and drama spring from the same place: the tension of expectations, whether Naveen wrestles with his prescribed role as an Indian man in the West; According to his parents, the implications of his queerness; Or how Jai fits into Gavaskar's family dynamic.

Jai's longing as a perpetual outsider who once found love in an Indian family before is as important to the film as Naveen's search for emotional authenticity. As the film begins to draw more openly from Bollywood iconography, it weaves together its epic romance from both their perspectives. For Jai, Hindi cinema is the ultimate expression of love and acceptance. For Naveen, it was a flourishing facade. Chetty presents the story's major turning points as stylistic handshakes between formal grandeur and naturalistic, self-aware comedy, without compromising any character's point of view and lying somewhere in between. The film's sweeping declarations are as bold and unapologetic as they are silly and funny, so they run the emotional gamut.

A rom-com that's simultaneously maddening and touching, yet despite its tumultuous tone, its greatest strength may be its quieter moments. Father-son duo Naveen and Archit seek solace in silence, which is unlikely to change anytime soon. So, in order to pull them out of their comfort zones, A nice Indian boy The film is about gestures big and small. Its most poignant moments come in the form of these two men – separated by a generational disconnect but bound by common cultural expectations – adapting in whatever small ways they can to the other's modes of expression. Over the course of the movie, they learn to speak each other's love languages, which leads to exciting, epic moments (some of them in delightful musical form).

In a just world, A nice Indian boy Found instant supply and will be appreciated along with Meera Nair Monsoon wedding As a realistic family portrait, its jagged edges are jarring but revealing. It's as sweet and fun as they come, and the kind of crowd pleaser that will make your heart feel full.

A nice Indian boy Currently trying to deliver.

Update: Sep. 25, 2024, 5:01 pm EDT A Nice Indian Boy was reviewed at its world premiere at SXSW 2024 on March 23, 2024. This post has been updated to note its East Coast premiere at NewFest, where it was the opening night film.