Netflix and Marflix Productions’ Jewel Thief is the story of a jewel heist. Rajan Aulakh (Jaideep Ahlawat) is an art collector. He hires the services of Rehan Roy (Saif Ali Khan) to steal the legendary African Red Sun diamond which is worth a fortune. Rehan meticulously plans the heist but when things go wrong, it turns into a dangerous game of double-crosses and shifting loyalties. Police officer Vikram Patel (Kunal Kapoor) is hot on Rehan’s trail.
David Logan has written a story which doesn’t engage the viewers completely if only because everything looks so simple. Rehan Roy, who plans the risky heist, seems to know everything and seems to have his way, whatever the situation and whichever the country. Why, he knows secret paths not just in India but in Istanbul too! David Logan’s screenplay and Sambit Mishra’s additional screenplay are not very convincing. Although the theft of the Red Sun diamond is a very risky mission, things fall into place so easily for Rehan that it often looks like a joke. This is not the first film with such a convenient drama, but if it still irritates the viewers, it is because it gives the audience time to think. A far more fast-paced drama would’ve probably made things more believable. In the present scheme of things, the screenplay looks like a piece of convenient writing. At least two important characters in the drama — Rajan Aulakh and Vikram Patel — appear quite laidback in their approach, further adding to the audience’s irritation. The chemistry between Rehan and Farrah (Nikita Dutta) is completely missing. Sumit Arora’s dialogues, with additional dialogues by Karan Vyas, are commonplace most of the times.
Saif Ali Khan acts well as Rehan Roy. But his usual charm quotient is lower this time. Nikita Dutta is ordinary as Farrah; she also gets limited scope. Jaideep Ahlawat is so-so as Rajan Aulakh. The cool dude act doesn’t completely suit him. Kunal Kapoor is routine as Vikram Patel. His body language doesn’t match his character and role because there’s no urgency in his walk, talk and approach. Besides, like Rehan (Saif Ali Khan), Vikram (Kunal Kapoor) also seems to know everything as if he were a know-all! Kulbhushan Kharbanda adds his bit as Rehan’s father. Gagan Arora makes his mark as Rehan’s brother, Avi Roy. Dorendra Singh Loitongbam is fair in the role of Moosa. Shaji Choudhary is so-so as Salim. Sumit Gulati is earnest in the role of Chunky. Meenal Sahu lends fair support as Nikki Taneja. Ayaz Khan is natural as pilot Manish Ashar. Vijay Sharma (as Shekhar), Chirjyot Singh Kohli (as Gaurav Chaddha), Peter Muxka Manuel (as Prince Gamunu), Paayal Nair (as Jennifer Lobo), Mark Hyland (as Prince Gamunu’s bodyguard), Hue Jude (as Xerxes Batliwala), Aparna (as the co-pilot), Ashton Bessette (as Simon Jarvis), Ujwal Gohrah (as Rajan Aulakh’s accountant, Mehta), Anisha Pahuja (as the first class flight attendant), Rhea Bedi (as the business class flight attendant), Akanksha Birajdar (as the economy class flight attendant), Puneet Raj Bhatia (as the flight purser), Asif Ali Beigh (as Moosa’s henchman, Hafiz), Pankaj Deva (as the receptionist of Regal Hotel), Angel (as Prince Gamunu’s assistant), Piotr Pamula (as the Turkish police officer), and the others pass muster.
Kookie Gulati and Robbie Grewal’s direction is ordinary. Their narration doesn’t add much to the weak script. Music (Sachin-Jigar for Lootera; Soundtrek & Anis Ali Sabri for Ilzaam ishq and the title track; and Oaff & Savera for Jaadu) is okay. Not a single track is hit. Lyrics (Kumaar for Lootera, Ilzaam ishq and Jaadu; and Soundtrek & Anis Ali Sabri for the title song) are so-so. Piyush-Shazia’s choreography is nothing to dance about. Shezan Shaikh’s background music is fair. Jishnu Bhattacharjee’s cinematography is nice. Action scenes and stunts have been choreographed reasonably well by Parvez Shaikh, Riyaz-Habib and Kecha Khamphakdee, but they are not breathtaking. Production designing (by Madhur Madhavan and Swapnil Bhalerao) and art direction (by Vaibhav Jadhav and Sheena Gola) are alright. Aarif Sheikh’s editing ought to have been tighter.
On the whole, Jewel Thief is too ordinary to make a mark. It is good that it is premiering on OTT as it would’ve struggled at the ticket windows had it been released in the cinemas.
Released on 25-4-’25 on Netflix.
