Movie Name : Nawab Cafe

Release Date : Feb 20, 2026
123telugu.com Rating : 2.25/5
Starring : Shiva Kandukuri, Teju Ashwini, Rajeev Kanakala
Director : Pramod Harsha
Producers : Radha V Papudippu & Venkat R Papudippu
Music Director : Prashanth R Vihari
Cinematographer : Kranthi Varla
Editor :  Pavan Narava

Related Links : Trailer

Shiva Kandukuri has now come up with the emotional drama Nawab Cafe. Initially the movie was titled Chai Wala, but due to censor board objection, the title was changed later. The movie hit the big screens today, and let’s see how it is.

Story:

Ranganath (Rajeev Kanakala) owns a cafe named “Nawab Cafe” in the Old City of Hyderabad, which carries a legacy of over four centuries. Raja (Shiva Kandukuri), the son of Ranganath, dislikes his father’s business and wishes to settle abroad. However, unexpected circumstances force Raja to take over the cafe, where he is confronted with hidden challenges.

Plus Points:

Rajeev Kanakala is a gem of an actor who slips into any character effortlessly, and he is at his usual best in Nawab Cafe too. As a man who wants to protect his family’s legacy and as a father trying to put some sense into his son’s mind, the senior actor does a solid job.

Shiva Kandukuri portrayed his role neatly. There are two variations in his character. Till the midpoint, he is shown as a fun-loving youngster who loves to live life to the fullest, while he becomes a completely responsible son in the second half. Performance-wise, the actor did well. A few moments before the interval, where the hero gets involved in an argument with his father and the female lead, explaining his life goals to them, came out well.

Minus Points:

The main problem with Nawab Cafe is its screenplay, which remains boring for the most part. The narrative feels outdated, and there is absolutely no urgency in the proceedings, with the director taking all the time in the world to arrive at the conflict point.

The first half tries hard to evoke laughs, but the comedy tracks are pale, poorly designed, and fall flat entirely. The romantic drama between the lead pair also isn’t appealing. The movie closely resembles Dhanush’s latest film Idli Kadai in crucial scenes, and the drama isn’t captivating enough to look beyond the resemblance.

The director places emphasis on emotion in the second hour, but here things get even more tiresome, with scenes failing to leave an impact. The dialogues are badly written, giving a sense of outdatedness in many scenes.

The antagonist’s character and his motive offer nothing new and have been beaten to death. Hence, Chaitanya Krishna’s role hardly makes any difference. The same goes for the female lead’s characterization. Teju Ashwini doesn’t have much to shine and is largely restricted to the background.

Technical Aspects:

Prashanth R Vihari’s music is okay, with one song looking good on screen. The cinematography by Kranthi Varla is fine, and the production values are decent. The production design team did an effective job, and the Old City setting is neatly presented. The editing is not satisfactory, as the movie drags on.

Pramod Harsha is both the writer and director of Nawab’s Cafe, and he has done an okayish job. Some moments are fine like the pre-interval portions, but more care should have been taken with the emotional moments in the second half. The story isn’t fresh, and the screenplay brings fatigue due to the lack of engaging moments. More care should have been taken with the emotional scenes.

Verdict:

On the whole, Nawab Cafe is a disappointing emotional drama that suffers from a routine story and a tiresome narrative. Rajeev Kanakala and Shiva Kandukuri are good in their respective roles, but the rest of the cast hardly had any scope. Both halves are filled with boring moments, and the film has very little to offer.

123telugu.com Rating: 2.25/5

Reviewed by 123telugu Team