A man sets off on a mission to steal a priceless artefact. Soon, a woman joins him. He dreams of returning home—fittingly called Ghar. Sounds familiar? That’s because it is. No, we’re not talking about Bang Bang (2014), although Siddharth Anand was involved in both. His latest production, Jewel Thief, merely borrows vibes from earlier outings and delivers little that feels fresh.
Starring Saif Ali Khan and Jaideep Ahlawat, Jewel Thief could well have been titled Time Thief—because that’s what it does: sneaks away two hours of your life and leaves you wondering what just happened.
A Heist Without a Pulse
The plot follows Rehan Roy (Saif Ali Khan), who is coerced into carrying out a high-stakes robbery by Rajan Aulakh (Jaideep Ahlawat). Sounds thrilling? On paper, maybe. On screen? Not so much. The adrenaline you’d expect from a heist film is suspiciously missing. You wait for tension to build, for clever turns, for edge-of-your-seat moments—and they never come.
While Siddharth Anand takes a step back from directing and only produces this one, his signature still lingers. Directors Kookie Gulati and Robbie Grewal try their best, but the execution never quite lifts off the page.
The Checklist Syndrome
Modern Hindi heist films seem to be running on a template, and Jewel Thief appears to have followed it religiously:
- A high-speed chase? Check.
- Heroine flaunting glamour for the sake of screen presence? Check.
- An obligatory twist to outwit the villain? Check.
- Emotional baggage in the form of a backstory? Check.
Kulbhushan Kharbanda shows up as Saif’s father, providing a forced family angle that feels more obligatory than organic. The emotional beats barely scratch the surface, which is why Robbie’s sudden longing for a future with Farah (his boss’s wife, no less) feels abrupt and out of place.
The Cast Deserves Better
Saif Ali Khan, who could have delivered a charming rogue or a conflicted anti-hero, looks like he’s here for a paycheck. Jaideep Ahlawat puts in some effort and manages to make Rajan mildly intimidating, but the script does him no favors.
Nikita Dutta, unfortunately, gets the short end of the stick. Her character’s struggles are barely explored, and she’s left with little room to evoke empathy. Meanwhile, Kunal Kapoor plays the classic always-a-step-behind cop, whose only job seems to be brooding and arriving late.
Verdict: A Forgettable Caper
Jewel Thief lacks the cleverness, tension, and heart that make a great heist film. The story plods along, ticking boxes instead of setting trends, and never earns the stylish edge it clearly aims for. In the end, the film hints at a sequel with the line “The Heist continues”—a threat more than a tease.
If anything, the boldest crime committed here was against the viewer’s time and expectations.
