The future of same-sex marriage seems unclear in the US, but wedding bells are ringing in theaters this spring.
Before the release of Nice Indian boyI’m currently playing in America and Canada (before Andrew Anne Wedding banquet (Remake’s release on April 18th), stars Jonathan Groff and Karan Soni spoke to Deadline about why Bollywood is “very gay” and “So So Fucking Special.”
Based on the play of Madhuri Shekar, Nice Indian boy It stars Soni as Naveen Gavaskar, a gay Indian-American doctor who has never brought his boyfriend home despite his parents and sister’s appearance acceptance.
While at Temple, Naveen causes an unexpected romance with Jay Krundkar (Groff), a white photographer raised by two adopted Indian parents. Following their Meat Cute, the pair is in considerable culture shock as Naveen’s new boyfriend teaches him to love every part of himself while planning a big gay Indian wedding with his family.
“Our culture is so rich that Indian Americans always find Indian Americans interesting. “And early in life, because of bullying and stuff from stories I’ve heard, many of them will avoid more and avoid the Indian part of their culture. So that’s how I’ve always seen it for the backstory of this character.
Jonathan Groff and Karan Soni, “A Nice Indian Boy” (2024) (Blue Harbor Entertainment/Courtesy Everett Collection)
Along with Roshan Seti, Soni’s real-life partner in the director’s chair, Jonathan Groff was as touched by the behind-the-scenes romance as his character’s love story.
“I loved it 7 daysA film made by Karan and Roshan. And when they found out they were a couple in real life, it just felt like a really special thing,” says Groff. There was both a deep cultural meaning of this being said about gay Indian weddings, and the additional element that it was Karan and Roshan, and they are really the same. Their love is in every frame of the film. It was really special shit. ”
Written for screen by Eric Randall, the adaptation of this feature is soaked in Bollywood references that include nasty gloaf singalons on the streets, big wedding dance numbers and sweet tributes Dilwale Dalhania Le JayengeA romantic comedy from 1995 that links couples.
“I’ve never seen it ddljAnd so, this film was a crash course for me and for Indian culture in many ways,” Groff said. “I loved the film. I feel very gay. Everything about Bollywood and Indian weddings feels very glamorous.
Please read the chat Nice Indian boy Starring Karan Soni and Jonathan Groff about the beautiful cultural conflict of their gay romantic comedy.
deadline: It’s a very fun and cute rom-com. You can get that ROM-COM moment, but please tell us in such a verified, non-traditional way.
Karan Soni: The script felt very special when I was able to read it, and it felt like a film I couldn’t imagine when it was made when it first started in Hollywood in 2010. But I was very pleased that it was being made and I think what’s special about it was that it was all about joy. I think that in many cases the strange drama and romance can feel a bit heavy.
deadline: And what was the casting process like? Did you have to like reading chemistry?
Soni: No, Jonathan is only offered. [LAUGHS] When you reach Jonathan’s agent, It’s frozen The soundtrack is just playing and should say in a sublime way, “I wish I could hire him.” No, no, we didn’t have it. I was already cast so Jonathan was at the top of the list for everyone and he read it. It’s rare in Hollywood that happens where you have a dream person, they read it, then you get an email like, “He read it, he loved it.” And we had one dinner in New York about a year before we started it. I myself have directors Roshan and Jonathan. And at the end of that dinner, the couple, Roshan and I came back and we were just like, “Well, it has to be him.” And we were like, “What if he didn’t like us?” But we really wanted, and we didn’t see Jonathan again until we started filming. Jonathan was on Doctor Whoand he came straight from that show to our film. We had already been filming for a few days, and then you were thrown in the middle. The first scene was, “I met a scene from my parents. This was like a five-page scene with all these new faces.
deadline: Jonathan, what stood out for you?
Jonathan Groff: After reading the script, I felt that was really special. Only the clash of culture and gay elements of Indian weddings. It felt like rom-com but it felt really family-related, it was a love story about these two meetings, but this important piece about being part of someone’s family and the complicated way they accept or not accept you. And I loved it 7 daysA film made by Karan and Roshan. And when it turns out they are a couple in real life, it all felt really special. And we were there and filmed it really quickly, it was 18 days…it just didn’t feel like another movie. There was both a deep cultural meaning of this being said about gay Indian weddings, and the additional element that it was Karan and Roshan, and they are really the same. Their love is in every frame of the film. It was really special shit.
Jonathan Groff, Karan Soni, Zarna Garg, “A Nice Indian Boy” (2024) (Blue Harbor Entertainment/Courtesy Everett Collection)
deadline: I love the element of him falling in love with someone who falls in love with his own culture. Can you tell me a little about that??
Soni: I think that was a very interesting part of the script. I grew up in India, so I came to America when I was 18. So I was very touched on the part of Indian culture that I loved and the part I was happy living in other countries. However, our culture is so rich that Indian Americans find Indian Americans always interesting. And many of them will avoid more, early in life, avoiding the Indian part of their culture, due to bullying and things from stories I’ve heard. So, that’s how I’ve always seen it for this character’s backstory. There it felt like this unique spin. There, the permission of this other person who loves this culture really needed my character to understand that in many ways something special about it. And I think that sometimes it’s what it is necessary, if outside people are okay with things like you to be feeling. I said, “The Indian food isn’t cool, it’s called Smary, it’s called Everything, and now it’s lined up for Mishlin Star’s Indian restaurant. When culture accepts it and doesn’t, it’s exactly such an interesting thing, and sometimes it’s the permission you need to feel comfortable. But all that came from the play originally, and what the play was trying to do was trying to show my character as this modest person who doesn’t actually accept everything about himself. So we really wanted it to take it out of the play and it would work on screen too.
deadline: And I loved every performance you did, from singing in the awkward streets from Jonathan to your big epic gestures and reenactments ddljand of course the big dance numbers for the Bollywood family. Please tell me about bringing them all together.
Soni: That was something we wanted to do with this film. And we play it for them, and it’s almost too jarring, there’s a difference, it’s long, and they’re like, “What’s going on?” And they’re a bit confused and feel like they can’t finish the movie or something. So this movie is like a blending, and Bollywood is also watching the film like a lot of it all got messed up with soup.
deadline: And Jonathan, what was that like for you?
Groff: I’ve never seen it ddljSo, this film was a crash course for me and for Indian culture in many ways. I loved that movie. I feel very gay. Everything about Bollywood and Indian weddings feels very gorgeous. And singing that song on the street made me feel safe. I felt safe the whole time, as Roshan and Karan were there. The heart-shaped nature of that character, Jay, was almost embarrassing when I first saw the film. “It’s because of how I’m going. I felt myself when I was doing it, but it was kind of a bit embarrassing to see it for the first time at least.
Soni: No, but that’s what people find attractive to the characters and in fact people are mad at me so you can’t be embarrassed.
Groff: You don’t matter. It’s annoying, someone is singing on the street. But me I have it It was sung on the streets of life. I’m facing that, but I don’t think it’s a bad idea.
