2 weeks Ago
Jewel Thief Movie Review: This is one of those films that will join the club of ‘guilty pleasure’ watches. Don’t think too much and just get on this fun ride. Jewel Thief Movie Review: Grab a tub of popcorn right now and imagine taking a walk down the memory lane, 17 years back to be precise, when Saif Ali Khan graced your screen in his snazziest and most stylish avatar! There’s nothing that beats nostalgia.
And that’s exactly what director duo Kookie Gulati and Robbie Grewal play on, with Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins. Slick, flamboyant, cool, unapologetic and self-indulgent – Jewel Thief is like a throwback to the noughties. At a time when patriotic dramas and action thrillers are ruling the roost, this film is like a much-needed respite.
Kudos to the actors too for not taking themselves too seriously but just letting their hair down and blowing off steam! Come to think of it, the metrosexual Saif has been a pop culture icon across decades! One to wear his stardom lightly, he has never had any inhibitions. This is an actor who has no qualms about cracking the most bizarre jokes and laughing at himself. Here too, he inadvertently cracks a meta joke and says that he doesn’t harbour any ‘nawaabi shauq’.
In another scene, he cackles after saying ‘need and neend’ in the same sentence, quirkily and quietly patting himself on the back for being able to come up with a smart alliteration. He may not be the megalomaniac Ranveer Singh from Race but his Rehan is surely a treat to watch! Jewel Thief begins with a sequence at popular art collector Rajan Aulakh’s lavish farmhouse in Alibaug. While art connoisseurs appreciate his collection of expensive portraits and paintings, Rajan is busy beating up his accountant, who has leaked data pertaining to his offshore accounts to the Interpol.
It’s important to note here that Rajan is obsessed with the colour of blood. He almost marvels at it. And it is instantly established that back in the day, he shared a deep connection with the underworld.
When he learns that Red Sun, Africa’s most precious diamond, is going to be put up for people to see at a museum in Mumbai, he decides to steal it. And the only man who can pull off this heist is Rehan, who’s currently in Budapest. We’re then introduced to the infamous ‘Jewel Thief’ who has recently robbed a very expensive emerald necklace.
Nothing scares Rehan. He, in fact, watches the news of the robbery with pride in his eyes. Back home, Rajan meets Rehan’s father, a doctor who runs a charitable hospital, and decides to donate Rs 10 crore to his cause.
However, his lackey Chunky tells Rehan’s brother that this ten-crore is actually black money and if he’s unable to convince Rehan to carry out the heist, he shall inform the ED of this money, leading his dad to imprisonment. Rehan, however, shares a strained relationship with his father. His father, a man of morals, ostracises him when he learns that his son earns a livelihood by carrying out heists across the world.
After much thought that leads him to put his ego aside, he decides to join hands with Rajan just to protect his father. Thrown into this is STF officer Vikram Patel, who is on a chase to hunt down Rehan. What follows is a game of double-crossing, betrayals and a bit of seduction peppered with oodles of twists and turns, and that’s exactly where Jewel Thief lags.
Though it boasts of a crisp narrative, its writing becomes its weakest link. Right from the word go, it’s understood who’s going to carry the trophy or the Red Sun, in this case, home. Yes, the film has its own share of plot twists.
But the problem is that you can see most of them coming and that’s also because of its elaborate trailer that gave away too much. In short, what had the potential to be an interesting game of one-upmanship with the most unexpected developments turns out to be a middling screenplay. The script is also riddled with far too many plot conveniences.
You may end up wondering every now and then if it’s that easy to break into a museum, manipulate the security system, tamper equipment and crack passcodes! The relationship between Rehan and his father isn’t completely fleshed out either. The same can be said for Rajan and his wife Farah. The makers chose to scratch only the surface and not let grime interrupt the shine.
They also play it pretty safe keeping all the familiar tropes in mind – there’s a charming anti-hero, a deliciously ripped villain, an ambitious and morally unambiguous cop, a bunch of dumb lackeys and a femme fatale. These characters almost feel like caricature-like templates with no arcs to play around with. The romantic subplot between Rehan and Rajan’s wife also seems like an unnecessary addition to the storyline.
We get it though. What’s a glossy thriller without a few kisses and sexual tension! And the fact of the matter remains that despite these bumps, there’s enough style and sheen to keep you hooked. It’s Saif as Rehan and Jaideep Ahlawat as Rajan on whose able shoulders Jewel Thief rests on.
Who would have imagined seeing Saif and Jaideep – two actors from two different schools of cinema – lock horns and beat up each other in true-blue Bollywood fashion! Their snarky exchanges are pure delight and interestingly, you wouldn’t know who to root for. As Rehan, Saif is at complete ease. This is his home ground.
He’s effortlessly dashing and dishing out dialogues with a smirk and with abandon. This isn’t an avatar we haven’t seen before and at times, Jewel Thief appears to be an extension of Race, but who cares! The one actor who, however, has never tasted these waters is the ever-so-versatile Jaideep. His Rajan is ripped with washboard abs and tattoos.
His hair is sleek. He’s menacing. He thrashes his wife to feed his masculine ego and shoots his Rottweiler dead when he gets too friendly and playful with Rehan.
And Rajan dances like a dream. This will hopefully mark the beginning of a new era for Jaideep. Kunal Kapoor as Vikram is impressive.
But the writing doesn’t do him justice. Between the towering presence of Saif and Jaideep, he gets overshadowed. Having said that, it’s Nikita Dutta who suffers the most.
She barely gets to contribute to the narrative and gets relegated as a femme fatale obsessed with belladonna flowers. So, is Jewel Thief worth watching? That’s a big, fat yes! This is one of those films that will join the club of ‘guilty pleasure’ watches. Don’t think too much and just get on this fun ride.
And don’t miss out on the ultra-cool ‘Jaadu’..
