Jewel Thief joins Bollywood’s continuing struggle to make a good heist film | Bollywood News
It’s sacrilege that Jewel Thief, starring Saif Ali Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Nikita Dutta, and Kunal Kapoor, shares its name with perhaps the most iconic heist film ever made in India, Vijay Anand’s Jewel Thief. The OG Jewel Thief, whose cast included Dev Anand, Ashok Kumar, Vyajayanthimala and Tanuja, blended characteristics of a conventional heist film with elements of a crime thriller. As I watched the new Jewel Thief, which is strangely both loud and lackluster, I couldn’t help but wonder why Bollywood has not been able to make a crackling heist story. A stylish, slick entertainer like an Ocean’s 11, or an intense, violent interpretation like Reservoir Dogs. While we have made remakes like Kaante, or taken inspiration from Hollywood films like Fast and Furious for the Dhoom series, there are very few Bollywood heist films that are rooted in an Indian milieu or have relatable characters and motivations. There are a few exceptions, like Aankhen (2002), which was based on the Gujarati play Aandhlo Pato and Special 26, which was based on an actual …









