Movie: Nawab Cafe
Rating: 1.5/5
Cast: Shiva Kandukuri, Teju Ashwini, Rajeev Kanakala, Rajkumar Kasireddy, Chaitanya Krishna, Vadlamani Srinivas & Others
Music: Prashanth R Vihari
DOP: Eshwar Penti
Editor: Pavan Narava
Art: Supriya Battepati
Producer: Radha V Papudippu
Written and Directed by: Pramod Harsha
Release Date: Feb 20, 2026
Shiva Kandukuri has appeared in a few films so far, but a definitive breakthrough has remained elusive. His latest outing, initially titled “Chai Waala,” ran into objections from the CBFC, prompting the makers to rename it Nawab Café.
Here is a look at the film’s strengths and shortcomings.
Story:
Raja (Shiva Kandukuri) completes his engineering after six years but remains jobless, living off the money earned by his father (Rajeev Kanakala), who runs Nawab Café near Charminar in Hyderabad. The café sits on prime land worth crores.
Dreaming of going to the US, Raja and his friend Scissors (Kasireddy) borrow Rs 2 lakh from a local rowdy and pay it to a consultancy for visa arrangements. Meanwhile, Raja’s cousin (Chaitanya Krishna), a real estate businessman, sets his sights on the café’s valuable land and tempts Raja with an offer of Rs 50 crore if he can convince his father to sell it.
After a minor argument over the property, Raja’s father suddenly passes away. Struck by guilt, Raja decides to run Nawab Café himself. The twists that follow form the rest of the story.
Artistes’ Performances:
Shiva Kandukuri delivers a routine act. He plays a neatly dressed, well-groomed youngster throughout, but there is no realism or depth in either the character or his acting.
Teju Ashwini gets a poorly written role, appearing at random intervals with minimal purpose, and the romance track barely engages.
Rajeev Kanakala, as the father, brings some emotional weight to his scenes. Chaitanya Krishna performs better as the greedy businessman who values money over relationships.
Kasireddy, playing Shiva’s friend, turns out to be irritating, and his dialogues fail to evoke laughs.
Technical Excellence:
Prasanth Vihari’s songs are pleasant, with “Chaiwaala” and “Sakhire” standing out, but they lose impact due to dull narration.
The cinematography and production design are adequate. However, the writing remains weak.
Highlights:
None
Drawback:
Boring narration
Amateurish direction
Slow and dull moments
Analysis
"Nawab Café" (earlier titled "Chai Waal") relies on a completely formulaic storyline that feels outdated. The film opens by introducing Shiva Kandukuri as a carefree engineering student who takes six years to complete a four-year course. The comedy involving him and his friend Kasireddy is largely silly and irritating.
The debut director’s scene construction is amateurish, making the father-son banter, buddy comedy, and romance track feel predictable and stale.
Episodes like two engineering graduates approaching a consultancy to arrange US visas are filled with outdated jokes. Gags such as confusing “passed away” with passing exams, or asking for a front-row seat on the airplane (“vimanam”) to flirt with an air hostess, feel painfully juvenile.
This kind of weak dialogue writing and flat scene development continues throughout the film.
The romantic track between Teju and Shiva is equally basic. Shiva’s characterization is inconsistent — in one scene he behaves foolishly, and in another he delivers heavy philosophical lines about father-son bonding. The director appears clueless about character arcs and narrative progression.
Even after the story turns serious following Rajeev Kanakala’s character’s death, the second half fails to gain momentum. The narration remains sluggish, making it hard for the audience to stay invested.
Overall, "Nawab Café" reeks of substandard writing, uninspired performances, and dull storytelling. It is such a tedious watch.
Bottom-line: Tasteless Chai
