When a film boasts two heavyweight performers like Saif Ali Khan and Jaideep Ahlawat, expectations naturally soar. Add the promise of a slick diamond heist in exotic locations, and you’d expect fireworks. Unfortunately, Jewel Thief directed by Kookie Gulati and Robbie Grewal fizzles out into a lazy, predictable drama with almost zero sparkle.
1. Predictable Plot and Overused Tropes
Jewel Thief borrows its title from one of Bollywood’s iconic heist films but forgets to borrow the ingenuity. Every twist is telegraphed far in advance. From double-crosses to father-son misunderstandings, the film feels stitched together from the most tired clichés of Hindi cinema. The “baap-beta” emotional drama, featuring a sleepwalking Kulbhushan Kharbanda, feels particularly outdated.
2. Saif Ali Khan’s Miscast Cool
Saif Ali Khan plays Rehan Roy, the titular thief draped in sparkly jewels and cheesy one-liners. While Saif can exude effortless charm, here he’s saddled with groan-worthy dialogues like “churayenge red sun in the gagan.” What might have passed for edgy 25 years ago now feels simply cringeworthy. His suave, smug persona needed sharper writing to truly shine.
3. Jaideep Ahlawat’s Wasted Potential
Jaideep Ahlawat is one of Bollywood’s finest character actors today. Yet, in Jewel Thief, he is relegated to a cartoonish villain — Rajan Aulakh, a mobster who toggles between designer suits, cigars, and broody glares. Despite his best efforts to look menacing, the screenplay gives him little to work with, making his performance feel hollow.
4. Lazy World-Building and Setting
Set in Budapest and Istanbul, the film had the perfect backdrop for a visually stunning thriller. But Jewel Thief barely scratches the surface. Locations are used as mere photo-ops rather than integral parts of the plot. Chase sequences, infiltration scenes, and high-stakes thefts lack any urgency or real inventiveness, making the film visually flat and emotionally disengaging.
5. Supporting Cast Lost in the Shuffle
Nikita Dutta plays the token love interest caught between two men, reduced to sad stares and talk of ‘majboori’. Kunal Kapoor as a bumbling cop, and Gagan Arora as the loyal younger brother, are similarly wasted. Even the Istanbul overlord, Moosa (played by Dorendra Singh Loitongbam), is predictable to a fault, delivering threatening monologues you can anticipate word for word.
Final Verdict
Jewel Thief had the star power and the thematic material for an engaging heist thriller but fails due to uninspired writing and direction. With a dull screenplay, overused tropes, and an utter lack of tension, this 2025 Bollywood offering proves that even a diamond-studded cast can’t save a movie with zero polish.
Rated just 1 star, Jewel Thief is a missed opportunity that barely deserves a place among Bollywood’s better heist thrillers.
If you’re craving a genuinely exciting heist film, check out our curated list of Bollywood’s best heist movies instead!
