[[{“value”:”Reading Time: 3 minutes
Despite it being nearly 8 years after marriage equality became the law of the land in Australia, the concept of Indian weddings between same-sex partners are yet to truly pierce the psyche of the diaspora in our adopted homeland. I’ve previously shared with Indian Link that acceptance of LGBTIQ+ people within our communities often lags behind. One reason may be that our ideas of what’s “acceptable” in Indian culture are frozen in time – shaped by the norms at the point of migration, whether in 1990 or 2010 – even as India herself continues to evolve.
It is against this backdrop that A Nice Indian Boy feels like a breath of fresh air. Adapted from the play of the same name by Madhuri Shekar, the film was directed by Roshan Sethi, starring his real-life partner Karan Soni, and Jonathan Groff. The opening scene focuses on Naveen Gavaskar (Soni) sitting alone at a table at his sister’s wedding to a picture-perfect Indian man. While the celebration unfolds, Naveen is pining away for a wedding just like that – for a nice Indian boy of his own. This is a familiar, heart-tugging feeling for many Indian-Australians regardless of whether we are gay or straight, particularly as we grew up on “NRI” love stories in films such as Kal Ho Naa Ho or Dil Chahta Hai.
Naveen is a typical Indian guy who was raised in the West, and he’s a doctor, a little highly strung, with a doting mother and a somewhat reserved father. The fact that Naveen is gay is known to his family, but the tangible result of it, in the form of a male partner and implications it carries for collectivist communities like ours, is yet to be seen.
Naveen’s longing for a life partner carries into his daily life as he talks about his dating life at the hospital with his colleague and best friend Paul, and even while he prays to Lord Ganesh at the temple.
Enter: Jay (Groff), a white man who walks into the temple and Naveen’s blown away:
1. A white guy in a temple?
2. He’s dashing!
View this post on Instagram
The men meet again at the hospital, where Jay is taking headshot photos for the staff, and the chemistry is enough to make one melt. This leads to a trip to the movies, where they watch DDLJ. One thing leads to another, and our lovers are now facing comedically presented but realistic barriers to marriage, which they eventually overcome to have their own big fat Indian wedding.
The film reflects the fundamental truth that the journey of love is a universal experience that transcends sexual orientation, just as many films from Indira to Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham to Veer Zaara to Two States and many more have shown us. It can transcend caste, class, religion, nationality, language, culture and any other label that we are born into.
A Nice Indian Boy also shows us that compassion for another person and the willingness to grow and learn with them are key concepts that are important for any relationship, whether romantic (as with our protagonists, Naveen’s parents or Arundhati and her ex-husband) or between a person and their family.
These pillars are important in driving home the importance of the family unit standing up for one another and ensuring their collective pursuit of happiness (in this case, marrying a partner of the same sex), and balancing, rather than undermining this with the need for connection with their wider community.
A Nice Indian Boy strikes the right mix in adopting a familiar rom-com format which is fairly accessible and family friendly whilst telling a slightly different story, but one I hope can help nudge forward our collective consciousness.
You can catch Indian Link’s interview with Director, Roshan Sethi, and lead actor, Karan Soni here
“}]] 