'Jewel Thief — The Heist Begins' Review: Twists, Betrayals, and High-Stakes Diamond Theft

‎Jewel Thief — The Heist Begins is a Bollywood heist thriller packed with stylish deception and over-the-top twists. The story follows world-famous con artist Rehan Roy, played by Saif Ali Khan, who is blackmailed by gangster Rajan Aulakh (Jaideep Ahlawat) to steal the Red Sun, a priceless African diamond. The heist spans a week, moving from a Mumbai museum to a mid-air robbery on SkyFly Airlines, with success and betrayal constantly blurring the line between reality and illusion.

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‎Jewel Thief — The Heist Begins delivers a twisty Bollywood heist with Saif Ali Khan, stylish visuals, double-crosses, and a diamond theft spanning Mumbai to London.

‎Jewel Thief

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‎Rajan Aulakh, an ominous art dealer, sets the tone with chilling violence and surreal creativity, turning the blood of an accountant into abstract art. Struggling under blackmail, Rehan returns from Budapest to plan the theft out of Rajan’s Alibaug villa. The film introduces layers of intrigue, including Rajan’s mysterious painter-wife Farrah (Nikita Dutta), whose connection with Rehan escalates tension and drives the plot’s unpredictability.

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‎The narrative thrives on chaotic charm and camp, showcasing elaborate schemes and improbable scenarios. A mid-air “medical emergency” is staged to divert a plane, blackmailing the pilot into crash-landing in a park. Characters simulate success, failure, and double-crosses, while visual cues, fluorescent palettes, and bold costume choices create a dizzying cinematic world. Every scene feels like a deliberate play with color, from neon reds and radioactive greens to glow-in-the-dark lipsticks.

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‎Visual storytelling plays a central role, with fluorescent sets and AI-esque character lighting giving the film an unmistakable aesthetic. The highly saturated design choices amplify the film’s surreal, self-aware style, reflecting the chaotic energy of its heist-driven narrative. Unreliable characters, fake diamonds within fake diamonds, and absurdly elaborate plans keep viewers guessing, ensuring that nothing is as it seems.

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‎Rehan Roy’s suave presence, combined with Rajan Aulakh’s menacing unpredictability, drives the high-stakes tension, while quirky side characters add layers of intrigue. The film blends elements of classic Ocean’s-style heists with Bollywood flamboyance, embracing excess and playful irreverence. Every twist and turn reinforces the idea that, in this glittering underworld of deception, luck favors no one, and planning is an art form.

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‎Jewel Thief — The Heist Begins delivers a visually audacious, twist-filled experience, balancing suspense, humor, and style. Its bold design choices, eccentric characters, and intricate plotlines establish it as a uniquely immersive Bollywood heist thriller.