All Shine, No Spark

The release of Saif Ali Khan and Jaideep Ahlawat’s ‘Jewel Thief – The Heist Begins’ on Netflix generated very high viewer anticipation ahead of its release. Add the enticement of an action-thriller storyline, and viewers are ready for an exciting experience. The movie promised to have all the ingredients of a standard heist film - glamour, intrigue, action, and humour. Unfortunately, even with all the promising packaging, the film falls into the error of style over substance, and the audience is left disappointed and craving the thrills that the film fails to deliver.

Rehan Roy (Saif Ali Khan) is a suave, charming con artist living in Budapest, making a living off of robbing expensive jewels with ease. His background story shows that he has a deeper emotional problem — he was kicked out of his house by his father, who does not like his criminal ways. Rehan is shown as a person who has learned to live with his imperfect life. However, things take a dramatic turn when his brother Avi Roy (Gagan Arora) tells him about Rajan Aulakh (Jaideep Ahlawat), an Indian art collector with not-so-pure intentions. Rajan, having laundered black money at their father’s clinic, threatens Rehan to steal the famous ‘Red Sun’, a rare African diamond.

What could have been an interesting cat-and-mouse game between Rehan and Rajan turns out to be a very dull plot. Right from the moment Rehan agrees to the heist, it is clear that he will outwit his foe. The absence of any real tension or intricate plot elements makes the film more of a boring watch.

While the film tries to emulate the stylised crime movies like ‘Dhoom’ or even hints of ‘Catch Me If You Can’, ‘Jewel Thief’ ends up being a poor imitation. The story is poorly written; scenes are not well connected, the visual presentation is dull, and the cutting does not help to improve the flow. Rather than creating an engaging storyline, the film has a hard time keeping the viewer engaged, often using weak humour and grandiloquent scenes that do not fit in. The dialogues, meant to lighten up the heavy plot, fail to hit the right note most of the time. Instead of adding to the character development or providing good comic relief, these dialogues only underscore the poor writing.

As for the performances, it is sad to see Saif Ali Khan in a role that does not challenge him to be the best version of himself. Rehan Roy, the protagonist of the film, lacks emotional depth, motivation, and any form of character development. It is clear that there was no effort to make him a more interesting character than the clichéd ‘charming thief.’

On the flip side, Jaideep Ahlawat adds much-needed weight to the film. His character, Rajan Aulakh, is the best part of the film – charming, menacing, and unpredictable. Ahlawat’s Rajan exudes a layered menace that keeps the audience invested, even as the plot crumbles around him. It is a tribute to Ahlawat’s acting skills that he manages to walk away with the film, despite being cast more as a villain or supporting actor. This is a testimony of Ahlawat’s acting skills that he manages to do it even when the writing is not up to the mark.

Another mistake was the fact that the makers of the film decided to use absurd plot twists for some of the key moments, including a major mid-air heist. Rather than exciting the audience, these scenes annoy the audience and make them doubt their believability, and they also drag on for way too long.

The film would have suffered from a theatrical release because its flaws would have become more apparent, which would have led to a commercial failure. The OTT platform provides enough interest for viewers to explore this film because of its star-studded cast, although it remains difficult to suggest watching it without hesitation.

‘Jewel Thief’ represents the perfect example of unused potential because it contained all the necessary elements, yet failed to transform them into an engaging film. The film runs for 116 minutes, which makes it drag on unpleasantly. Viewing this heist will cost you too much time, so you should avoid it.

Final Verdict: Looks like a heist thriller, but has nothing worth stealing - including your attention. Skip it.