Nawab Cafe Movie Review

Shiva Kandukuri is trying hard to score a hit in his career and has pinned a lot of hopes on his new film, Nawab Cafe. The emotional trailer received decent applause, and the film has hit the screens today. Directed by Pramod Harsha, let’s see how the film is.

Plot:

Raja’s (Shiva Kandukuri) only dream is to settle down abroad, and he makes due plans. But things change big time as he is forced to take over his father’s (Rajeev Kanakala) age-old tea joint, Nawab Cafe. The basic story of the film is how Raja kills his dreams, takes over the cafe, and settles down in life.

Performances:

With each passing film, Shiva Kandukuri is getting better with his performances. Here in Nawab Cafe, he gets a very strong role where he showcases variations as an actor. In the first half, he is a fun-loving guy, and in the second, he gives an emotional performance, which is quite good. Shiva looks settled and is amazing in the confrontation scenes with his father, played by Rajeev Kanakala.

Speaking about the popular actor, Rajeev Kanakala is slowly getting his footing as he plays these fun and emotional father roles with ease. Rajeev is good as the helpless father running the cafe. Teju Ashwini plays the female lead, and she is just about okay. Chaitnya Krishna was okay in his role.

Technical Aspects:

Prashanth R Vihari has composed the music, and the songs are ordinary. But his BGM is decent. Most of the film happens in the backdrop of a cafe, and this looks good. But the rest of the visuals and production could have been a lot better. The dialogues, especially those written for Rajeev Kanakala, have a special mention. The story is old school and does not have anything new to showcase. Such stories have been shown in many films, the most recent being Idli Kottu.

Positives:

Shiva Kandukuri, Rajeev Kanakala scenes
A few emotional moments

Negatives:

Old-school story
Lack of proper drama
Routine scenes

Analysis:

Nawab Cafe is one of those films that has a very routine storyline. A very ambitious son wanting to settle abroad changes his decision, supports his dad’s business, and comes to terms with life, this has been showcased in many films to date. What makes the difference is the actors chosen. Both Rajeev Kanakala and Shiva Kandukuri make things look interesting with their performances. Barring this, there is nothing much that can be praised in the film.

When you narrate films where the story is already known, the screenplay makes all the difference. But here in Nawab Cafe, things are very slow and take forever to get to the conflict point. The director takes his own sweet time to establish the conflict, and this makes things quite boring for the audience. As the main theme is predictable, the other episodes should have made sense.

The comedy showcased does not click, and the romantic track between the lead pair is also dull and does not bring anything to the table. Chaitanya Krishna’s role is beaten to death, and his character does not add anything to the narrative. Such films need solid drama, and that is missing in Nawab Cafe.

With such an outdated script and boring narrative, the audience only gets to see routine scenes and emotions that are mundane and boring. There are hardly any scenes that make you emotional. Barring Shiva Kandukuri and Rajeev Kanakala, Nawab Cafe does not have anything to offer and is a below-par outing.

Final Verdict: Boring Cafe!

Rating: 2/5