Jewel Thief - The Heist Begins

About the film

Jewel Thief – The Heist Begins is a 2025 Indian Hindi-language heist action thriller film directed by Kookie Gulati and Robbie Grewal. Produced by Marflix Pictures, it stars Saif Ali Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat, Nikita Dutta and Kunal Kapoor. The film was premiered on Netflix on 25 April 2025.

Plot

Rehan Roy is an infamous jewel thief, known across the globe for pulling off high-profile heists. Currently in Budapest, he is under constant surveillance by two Indian Secret Service agents who report to Officer Vikram Patel, determined to uncover Rehan's next move. Rehan's life takes a sharp turn when his younger brother, Avi Roy, arrives with troubling news. Back in India, their father, renowned doctor Jayant Roy—who had expelled Rehan from the family years ago for his criminal activities—is now in grave danger. A powerful art collector, Rajan Aulakh, has framed both Avi and Dr. Roy in a money laundering scandal involving terrorist-linked funds, as blackmail to force Rehan into stealing a priceless gem called the Red Sun, currently displayed at an exhibition in Mumbai by the wealthy Prince Gamunu.

Determined to save his father, Rehan surrenders to the Indian agents in Budapest and requests extradition to India. En route, he drugs the agents and assumes one of their identities to travel unnoticed to Mumbai. There, he meets Rajan, who hosts him in his opulent mansion and lays out the details of the heist. Rehan also encounters Farah, Rajan's partner, and quickly notices she's a victim of Rajan's abuse. A quiet romance begins to bloom between them.

Meanwhile, Rajan secretly reconnects with Moosa, a gangster with whom he shares a rocky past. The two agree to work together, planning to eliminate Rehan after the heist and split the proceeds. Rehan, unaware of their betrayal, begins scouting the museum. But when he senses Officer Vikram's presence during the attempted heist, he aborts and escapes.

Production

The film was announced in February 2024, starring Saif Ali Khan and Jaideep Ahlawat.

However, on 28 May 2024, the official title of the film was announced Jewel Thief – The Red Sun Chapter.

Principal photography began in March 2024. The filming took place in Mumbai and Budapest before wrapping up in May 2024.

Soundtrack

Sachin–Jigar, OAFF–Savera and Soundtrek–Anis Ali Sabri while lyrics are written by Kumaar and Soundtrek–Anis Ali. The first single titled "Jaadu" was released on 9 April 2025. The second single titled "Ilzaam" was released on 17 April 2025.

Marketing and release

The teaser was released on 3 February 2025 and the trailer was released on 14 April 2025.

In February 2025, Netflix revealed its slate lineup for 2025, and the film was re-titled as Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins.

The film was made available for streaming on Netflix on 25 April 2025.

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 5% of 20 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 3.8/10.

Vimala Mangat from Gazettely gave a rating of 7/10 stars.

Kathy Gibson from website Access Bollywood rates it 3 out of 4 stars.

Key details