# Jewel Thief (2025 film)
**Jewel Thief - The Heist Begins** (ज्वेल थीफ: द हीस्ट बिगिन्स) is a 2025 Hindi-language heist action film directed by Kookie Gulati and Robbie Grewal, starring [Saif Ali Khan](https://www.edgepedia.org/saif-ali-khan) as a con artist who plans a diamond theft while contending with a crime lord played by [Jaideep Ahlawat](https://www.edgepedia.org/jaideep-ahlawat). It was released on Netflix on April 25, 2025, as the streaming debut of [Siddharth Anand](https://www.edgepedia.org/siddharth-anand)'s Marflix Pictures.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/jewel_thief_the_heist_begins) • [2](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/jewel-thief-the-heist-begins-premieres-april-25)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | Netflix streaming premiere, April 25, 2025[2](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/jewel-thief-the-heist-begins-premieres-april-25) |
| Directors | Kookie Gulati and Robbie Grewal[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/jewel_thief_the_heist_begins) |
| Producers | Siddharth Anand and Mamta Anand (Marflix Productions); Netflix India co-production[2](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/jewel-thief-the-heist-begins-premieres-april-25) |
| Lead cast | Saif Ali Khan (Rehan Roy), Jaideep Ahlawat (Rajan Aulakh), Kunal Kapoor (Vikram Patel), Nikita Dutta (Farah)[3](https://www.tvguide.com/movies/jewel-thief-the-heist-begins/cast/2060188673/) |
| Premise | A jewel thief is hired to steal the African Red Sun, described in promotional material as the world's most elusive diamond, and the planned heist descends into deception and betrayal[3](https://www.tvguide.com/movies/jewel-thief-the-heist-begins/cast/2060188673/) |
| Runtime and language | 1h 56m; Hindi[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/jewel_thief_the_heist_begins) |
| Reception | IMDb 4.2/10 from about 6,200 users; Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer 5% from 20 reviews[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27843798) • [1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/jewel_thief_the_heist_begins) |
## Spoilers
### Plot and characters
Rehan Roy (Saif Ali Khan) is a con artist and master thief who devises a plan to steal the African Red Sun, described in promotional material as the world's most elusive diamond. Rajan Aulakh (Jaideep Ahlawat), a crime lord, forces his hand by threatening Rehan's family, and the carefully planned heist spirals into shifting loyalties and double-crosses.[3](https://www.tvguide.com/movies/jewel-thief-the-heist-begins/cast/2060188673/) • [8](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-reviews/jewel-thief-the-heist-begins/ottmoviereview/120610009.cms) Kunal Kapoor plays [Vikram Patel](https://www.edgepedia.org/vikram-patel) and [Nikita Dutta](https://www.edgepedia.org/nikita-dutta) plays Farah; the supporting cast includes [Kulbhushan Kharbanda](https://www.edgepedia.org/kulbhushan-kharbanda) as Jayant Roy and Gagan Arora as Avi Roy.[3](https://www.tvguide.com/movies/jewel-thief-the-heist-begins/cast/2060188673/)
The title borrows from *[Jewel Thief](https://www.edgepedia.org/jewel-thief-1967-film)*, Vijay Anand's 1967 Hindi heist classic, and the film acknowledges the connection with a scene in which the filmmaker's name is used as an alias.[9](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/jewel-thief-movie-review-lazy-and-banal-saif-ali-khan-jaideep-ahlawat-heist-thriller-has-zero-sparkle-9965030/) • [10](https://www.ottplay.com/features/jewel-thief-saif-ali-khan-jaideep-ahlawat-a-heist-that-chokes-on-its-own-excess/e19aa0a0f3385) The ending leaves the theft framed as the start of a larger story, consistent with the subtitle.[5](https://www.martincid.com/movies/jewel-thief-the-heist-begins-hindi-language-heists-and-action-on-netflix/)
## Production and release
The film was produced by Marflix Productions, the company behind the theatrical action films *War* and *Pathaan*, with Netflix India as co-producer, and marked Marflix's first streaming release. Siddharth Anand and Mamta Anand said they wanted to bring the scale of big-screen action to Netflix.[2](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/jewel-thief-the-heist-begins-premieres-april-25) For Saif Ali Khan, the project reunited him with Siddharth Anand after about 18 years; their previous collaboration was *Ta Ra Rum Pum* (2007).[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27843798)
Netflix announced the film on March 27, 2025, with the April 25 date, and the final title was revealed in February 2025 as part of Netflix's slate announcement.[2](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/jewel-thief-the-heist-begins-premieres-april-25) • [5](https://www.martincid.com/movies/jewel-thief-the-heist-begins-hindi-language-heists-and-action-on-netflix/) The first song, "Jaadu" by OAFF, Savera, and Raghav with lyrics by Kumaar, was released on April 8, 2025.[6](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAjL6yAiJ4c) The story unfolds across Budapest, Istanbul, and Mumbai.[2](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/jewel-thief-the-heist-begins-premieres-april-25)
The screenplay is credited to [Sumit Arora](https://www.edgepedia.org/sumit-arora), David Logan, and Sambit Mishra, with [Jishnu Bhattacharjee](https://www.edgepedia.org/jishnu-bhattacharjee) as cinematographer and Aarif Sheikh as editor; music credits include Sachin Sanghvi, Jigar Saraiya, Kabeer Kathpalia, and Anis Ali Sabri.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/jewel_thief_the_heist_begins) • [7](https://www.moviemeter.com/movies/action/jewel-thief-the-heist-begins/cast)
## Reception
Critical response was largely negative. The film's Filmi aggregate score was 29 from 9 critic reviews, with individual ratings ranging from 1/5 to 3/5.[11](https://filmi.ai/film/jewel-thief-the-heist-begins-2025/) On Rotten Tomatoes the Tomatometer stood at 5% from 20 reviews.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/jewel_thief_the_heist_begins) IMDb users gave it 4.2/10 from about 6,200 ratings.[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27843798)
Recurring criticisms targeted the writing rather than the cast. Shubhra Gupta of *The Indian Express* called the film lazily constructed, with every scene and sequence familiar and twists visible in advance.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/jewel_thief_the_heist_begins) Anupama Chopra of The Hollywood Reporter India found it low on sparkle, comparing it unfavorably with the 1967 original.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/jewel_thief_the_heist_begins) • [12](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/thr-video/thr-reviews/jewel-thief-the-heist-begins-movie-review-anupama-chopra-thr-india) Reviewers repeatedly noted that Jaideep Ahlawat's villain was underused and lacked depth or motivation.[1](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/jewel_thief_the_heist_begins) The *Times of India* was more favorable, rating it 3.5/5 and calling it a crisp caper whose second half turns into a tense game of double-crossing.[8](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-reviews/jewel-thief-the-heist-begins/ottmoviereview/120610009.cms) Audience reaction was mixed, with social media responses ranging from "forgettable" to "mass hit."[13](https://www.hindustantimes.com/htcity/cinema/jewel-thief-on-ott-saif-ali-khan-jaideep-ahlawats-heist-film-gets-mixed-reviews-from-forgettable-to-mass-hit-101745586860083-amp.html)
## Viewership
Ormax Media's mid-year 2025 tally of streaming originals recorded 13.1 million views for the film, listed as a Hindi film on Netflix produced by Marflix Pictures.[14](https://www.ormaxmedia.com/data/library/Top50StreamingOriginals-MidYear2025-OrmaxMedia.pdf)
## References
1. [Jewel Thief - The Heist Begins, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/jewel_thief_the_heist_begins)
2. [Netflix's Upcoming Film 'Jewel Thief - The Heist Begins' Arrives April 25 to Steal the Show, About Netflix](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/jewel-thief-the-heist-begins-premieres-april-25)
3. [Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins - Full Cast & Crew, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/movies/jewel-thief-the-heist-begins/cast/2060188673/)
4. [Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins (2025), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27843798)
5. ["Jewel Thief – The Heist Begins": Hindi-Language Heists and Action on Netflix, Martin Cid Magazine](https://www.martincid.com/movies/jewel-thief-the-heist-begins-hindi-language-heists-and-action-on-netflix/)
6. [Jewel Thief: Jaadu (official song video), YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAjL6yAiJ4c)
7. [Full cast of Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins, MovieMeter](https://www.moviemeter.com/movies/action/jewel-thief-the-heist-begins/cast)
8. [Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins Movie Review, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-reviews/jewel-thief-the-heist-begins/ottmoviereview/120610009.cms)
9. [Jewel Thief Movie Review, The Indian Express](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/movie-review/jewel-thief-movie-review-lazy-and-banal-saif-ali-khan-jaideep-ahlawat-heist-thriller-has-zero-sparkle-9965030/)
10. [Jewel Thief: A Heist That Chokes On Its Own Excess, OTTplay](https://www.ottplay.com/features/jewel-thief-saif-ali-khan-jaideep-ahlawat-a-heist-that-chokes-on-its-own-excess/e19aa0a0f3385)
11. [Jewel Thief - The Heist Begins (2025) review, filmi.ai](https://filmi.ai/film/jewel-thief-the-heist-begins-2025/)
12. [Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins Movie Review | Anupama Chopra, The Hollywood Reporter India](https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/thr-video/thr-reviews/jewel-thief-the-heist-begins-movie-review-anupama-chopra-thr-india)
13. [Jewel Thief on OTT: heist film gets mixed reviews, Hindustan Times](https://www.hindustantimes.com/htcity/cinema/jewel-thief-on-ott-saif-ali-khan-jaideep-ahlawats-heist-film-gets-mixed-reviews-from-forgettable-to-mass-hit-101745586860083-amp.html)
14. [Top 50 Streaming Originals, Mid-Year 2025, Ormax Media](https://www.ormaxmedia.com/data/library/Top50StreamingOriginals-MidYear2025-OrmaxMedia.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Hindi films of the 2020s › Hindi films of 2025*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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