Nawab Movie Review: Is A Short Film With Long Legs!

Nawab

Starring Aparshakti Khurraana,  Geetika Vidya, Mallika Dua

Directed by Manasi Jain

Rating: ***(3 stars)

While the  nation is in  a  swoon over  Ashwini  Iyer Tiwary’s short-film Ghar Ki Murgi another  short-film from the same producers(Royal Stag) released a few weeks earlier has gone largely  unnoticed.

A  pity, as  it features the  remarkably talented Aparshakti Khurrana who  I believe  is  more talented than his  star-brother Ayushmann, more  equipped to convey  complex emotions. Here in the time-bound Nawab Aparshakti plays Nikhil an abandoned  husband who  refuses to abandon their  dog after his wife leaves  him.

The fleeting blithe film moves quickly through three segments of denial and acceptance. Nikhil won’t accept responsibility  for  the  dog Nawab . Nikhil tries to get  rid of him. Nikhil is reconciled to the  presence of his canine companion. Aparshakti takes  us through all the 3 stages  of his character’s flash-journey with a clarity of emotions that  most of our actors do not display in full-length feature  films.

He is  doleful and  disbelieving when his wife played  by Geetika Vidya(the abused househelp in Thappad) leaves  him. He is  hopeful when he  approaches his sister-in-law(Mari Gorretti) to  take care  of the  dog but she begs off saying she barely has  enough energy time and space  for her two sons(good point there about how being an animal lover  is  not  enough to  adopt a pet).

My favourite section of Nawab is in the  dogcare centre where Malika Dua and Khurrana are  interactively agile as she takes  him through all the excuses for  not keeping the dog until she wears him down.

Nawab is  a bright  perky  relevant and intelligent short-film. I want to see  more of writer-director Mansi Jain’s work.And  I want to see Aparshakti get the same fame as Ayushmann,  if not more. Or  does fate only allow one star in every  family?