BY NAMITA DOGRA SUDAN
Imagine one of the world’s most expensive diamonds, locked in a high-security museum vault, surrounded by thousands of daily visitors and yet, a group of thieves plans to steal it, while the police are already hot on their trail. Sounds thrilling, right? Well, not quite, at least not in Saif Ali Khan’s latest Netflix film, The Jewel Thief – The Heist Begins.
The movie boasts a star-studded cast including Saif Ali Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Nikita Dutta, and Kunal Kapoor, but fails to deliver the excitement that the premise promises. What should have been a smart, edge-of-your-seat heist thriller ends up feeling like a half-baked story stuck in a time warp. Despite the film’s stylish visuals, lavish interiors, and well-designed sets, the story fails to generate real suspense. Surprisingly, a documentary on Netflix, The Diamond Heist, tells a similar story but with far more twists, drama, and authenticity. Actual thieves narrate their story, real police officers walk us through their investigative strategies, and the twists are unpredictable and genuinely thrilling. As the saying goes, truth is stranger than fiction, and that proves painfully true here.
One of the film’s most anticipated performances, Jaideep Ahlawat’s, turns out to be a major letdown. While his appearance is striking and intriguing, the character he’s been given is poorly written and lacks depth. The dialogues, in particular, are so ill-suited and cheesy that it’s hard to take his character seriously. Instead of the menacing Don we expected, he ends up feeling like a sidekick to Saif’s lead — a disappointing use of such a talented actor.
Nikita Dutta, unfortunately, is even more sidelined. While undeniably beautiful on screen, her character offers nothing substantial to the plot. She’s reduced to being a decorative presence, a disappointing waste of talent. Unlike some recent glam-doll roles that eventually surprise us with a twist in the end, like Disha Patani’s character in movies like Yodha, Nikita’s character leads nowhere. Her absence would have made no difference to the story.
Kunal Kapoor, known for his understated yet powerful performances, doesn’t get the screen time or script support he deserves. The inevitable comparison arises with Abhishek Bachchan’s role in the Dhoom franchise. Both stories revolve around high-stakes thefts and cat-and-mouse chases, but while Abhishek’s character feels sharp and layered, Kapoor’s role is hollow. This may partly be due to the screenplay, because otherwise Kapoor is a capable actor.
Finally, Saif Ali Khan. He leads Jewel Thief with the kind of central dominance that’s becoming increasingly common among today’s Bollywood megastars. There’s a growing trend where the entire narrative is crafted to revolve solely around the hero, often sidelining other characters who could add depth and intrigue. What’s disappointing here is that I genuinely thought Saif was different, an actor who prioritized strong stories over simply glorifying his own character. But it seems he, too, has gotten caught in the rat race of superstar-centric storytelling. It’s becoming a pattern; we’ve seen it with Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, and now Saif too.
In a genre like heist thrillers, the thrill lies in the unpredictability, in sharp villains and clever cops who can outsmart the hero. In Jewel Thief, however, neither the villain nor the police inspector ever poses a real challenge. Even when it looks like the cops are ahead, it turns out Saif’s character laid the breadcrumbs himself. The result is a predictable narrative that lacks true tension. Contrast that with classics like Sholay, which got this balance right, where even the villain Gabbar Singh, Inspector Thakur, and heroes Jai, and Veeru each had their own space and power.
Character development is another major flaw. The film never clearly explains why Saif’s character is seen as a genius thief; the audience is just told, not shown. The same goes for Jaideep’s sudden aggression toward Nikita’s character, which lacks emotional build-up or reason. Kunal Kapoor’s character is also a mystery; we never learn clearly why he’s even chasing Saif so passionately. These loose threads make it hard for the audience to stay invested.
The screenplay is where the film truly falls apart. In an age of AI, tech thrillers, and smart storytelling, this movie feels outdated, like a script from 2005 that got a shiny makeover but no real upgrade. There’s no freshness, no clever twists, and even the humor feels childish. Films like Dhoom and Race may have been over the top, but at least they were fun and knew how to keep us hooked.
If there’s one saving grace in The Jewel Thief – The Heist Begins, it’s the upbeat end-credits song “Jaadu”, which became a hit even before the movie’s release. Its peppy tune quickly caught on with audiences, but what really stole the spotlight was Jaideep Ahlawat’s unexpected dance performance. Known for playing intense and serious characters, seeing him break into smooth moves was a fun surprise that added a much-needed moment of joy. Unfortunately, “Jaadu” only plays during the end credits. So if that’s what you’re here for, skip to the end or better yet, just watch it on YouTube.
The full title of the film, The Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins, clearly signals that the makers are hoping to start a franchise. There’s even a not-so-subtle hint at a sequel in the final scenes. But if this first outing is anything to go by, it’s hard to imagine audiences lining up for another round. A heist movie should be sharp, fast-paced, and full of surprises. If the next one is going to be this dull, many will simply skip it.
Final Verdict: The Jewel Thief – The Heist Begins had everything it needed to become a smart, stylish heist thriller, but it misses the mark. Weak characters, poor storytelling, and predictable twists make it a forgettable experience. If you want a real thrill, watch The Diamond Heist documentary or, better yet, Dev Anand’s 1967 classic Jewel Thief, which still delivers the suspense this movie failed to create.
