4 min readNew DelhiJul 22, 2026 08:30 AM IST
Long before Jewel Thief (1967) became one of Bollywood’s most memorable spy thrillers, it brought some of the biggest names of Hindi cinema together. Legendary actors Dev Anand, Vyjayanthimala, Ashok Kumar and Tanuja, who had already delivered several hits by then, collaborated with acclaimed filmmaker Vijay Anand for this immersive whodunit. While the film went on to become a huge commercial and critical success, Jewel Theif’s director had to face several challenges while shooting the film, including his feud with the lead actress Vyjayanthimala. His biography, Goldie: The Man and His Movies, details the journey of making the film.
After the success of his hit film Guide (1965), Vijay was keen to move away from romance and try a different genre. The story, which he wrote with Narayan Sanyal, is about Vinay (played by Dev Anand) who is taken for a criminal mastermind Amar. To clear his name, Vinay goes undercover and becomes a part of a mind-boggling heist.
Jewel Thief’s casting process
The casting of Jewel Thief was also finalised after much thought. While Dev Anand was confirmed to play the lead actor in the film, Vijay wanted to cast someone ‘innocent-looking’ for the the antagonist’s role. For the villain’s character, he approached Raj Kumar; the next choice was Ashok Kumar. After laying out a few conditions related to the timings of the shoot, the actor agreed to the offer. For the female lead, the choice was pretty clear in their mind — Vyjayanthimala was at the peak of her stardom, making her an ideal choice for the film.
But, as per the biography, Vijay Anand and Vyjayanthimala found themselves at odds from the beginning of the shoot. One early incident that triggered their differences was the actress arriving late and keeping the crew waiting. While every other cast members was ready, she refused to come out of her makeup room. When she finally did, the director didn’t get any apology from her. “What can I do for you?” she questioned, as an incandescent Vijay shouted at her and said, “You can’t do anything. It’s lunch time, we will shoot later now.” Vijay believed that Vyjayanthimala had disrespected a senior actor like Ashok Kumar who had his health issue and followed a strict schedule.
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Differences between Vijay Anand and Vyjayanthimala
As the shooting progressed, their differences escalated. Another rift came during the filming of the iconic song ‘Hothon Pe Aisi Baat’. During the filming, Vyjayanthimala was in a relationship with Dr. Chamanlal Bali, whom she later married in 1968. However, their relationship had an impact on her professional commitments.
While shooting the elaborate dance number, which required a lot of rehearsals, Vyjayanthimala would reportedly arrive late. She would also hesitate to perform romantic scenes with Dev Anand whenever Dr Bali was present on the set, leading to delays and frustration. The director was clear that he didn’t want to film the lengthy track without rehearsals. He instructed her to rehearse and said the shoot will happen the following day. She refused to follow the instructions, leading to more bad blood. At the end, the song turned out beautifully as Vyjayanthimala was among the finest dancers of her era.
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Cold response to a congratulatory letter
As a consequence, the biography states that Vyjayanthimala didn’t show up on the film’s trial show and did not even actively participate in its promotions. Despite the long-standing feud between Vijay Anand and Vyjayanthimala behind the scenes, Jewel Thief hit the theatres in 1967 and achieved commercial and critical success.
The story did not end there. As per the book, after Vyjayanthimala received the Padma Shri award in 1968, Vijay sent her a congratulatory letter. But, she gave a cold response to his gesture, and replied, “You may think you are intelligent but we don’t care about you.”
Directed by Vijay Anand and produced by Dev Anand’s Navketan Films, Jewel Thief had music composed by the iconic S.D. Burman.
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