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.
