Cinestaan Curates: Nawab is an endearing film that reminds us of the joy that pets bring

A dog is a man’s best friend, but what happens when a relationship breaks up? Who gets to keep the best friend? Directed by Mansi Jain, the short film Nawab explores a collapsing marriage and its consequences on the family's dog.

Nikhil (Aparshakti Khurana) and Devika (Geetika Vidya) have decided to end their marriage. The wife needs to move on with her career and feels there is nothing left between them. Nikhil is left nursing a broken heart, but relents, saying, “In any case, I’ve been married to a laptop for the last four years.” However, there is a small wrinkle in the passive-aggressive separation. No one has thought about what will happen to their dog, Nawab.

Devika cannot take him along as she is moving to another place and Nikhil protests, claiming that he is not even a dog person, as the couple argues about whose idea it was to get the dog in the first place.

Alone and dejected, Nikhil cannot wallow in his grief as he also needs to take care of the canine and tries to find an alternative home for him. But all his efforts to palm him off come to naught. Frustrated with the dog’s antics, Nikhil even abandons Nawab in the middle of the road and tries to drop him off at a shelter, only to get an earful from the manager (Mallika Dua) who is frustrated with people dumping their dogs for the silliest of reasons.

An endearing film, Nawab works largely because of the dog who goes about being himself without realizing his owners’ distress. Nawab draws attention to our responsibility as pet parents and the heartlessness with which people are willing to cast them aside. It also makes us realize that pets are a source of endless love and companionship when we need them the most, and perhaps that’s the relationship we need to be equally committed to.

Nawab is available for viewing on the Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films YouTube channel.