Re-watching 1967’s Jewel Thief evokes the joy of cinema, with its perfect blend of thrill, suspense, romance and music.
A film like that can never be remade or be tampered with in any way, observes Deepa Gahlot.
IMAGE: Dev Anand and Vyjayanthimala in Jewel Thief.
The makers of the new Saif Ali Khan-Jaideep Ahlawat-starrer, Jewel Thief, did themselves a disservice by using the title of Vijay Anand’s 1967 classic.
It made movie buffs nostalgic for the old film.
Re-watching the Dev Anand-starrer evokes the joy of cinema, with its perfect blend of thrill, suspense, romance and music.
Over the opening credits of the film, a gloved hand steals jewellery from a store, leaving display counters and mannequins bare.
The newspapers are full of sensational headlines about this elusive thief. The police commissioner of Bombay (Nasir Hussain, who practically wore the uniform as second skin) promises to catch the burglar soon or resign.
IMAGE: Dev Anand with Vyjayanthimala and Tanuja in Jewel Thief.
Dev Anand plays Vinay, the estranged son of the commissioner, who bags a well-paid job (Rs 1,000 was a princely sum back then) with jeweller Vishambhar Das (Sapru) and flirts with his daughter Anjali (Tanuja).
Suddenly, people he meets casually call him Amar.
At Anjali’s birthday party, Shalini (Vyjayanthimala) claims he is her fiancé.
Her irate brother Arjun (Ashok Kumar) forces Vinay to take off his right shoe to prove that he does not have six toes, like Amar.
Vijay Anand, who also wrote the screenplay, from an KA Narayan story, inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch A Thief, makes this simple scene full of drama and intrigue.
IMAGE: Ashok Kumar, Vyjayanthimala and Dev Anand in Jewel Thief.
Even a viewer who has not seen the film would guess some sinister game is afoot to take advantage of Vinay’s resemblance to Amar, who is the suspected burglar.
A couple of hints for the attentive viewer: Shalini winning a dance and acting competition in Gangtok (Sikkim) and the abduction of a child (Sachin), who was wildly applauding the presentation of the trophy, by Sikkim royalty.
There is a heist at Vishambhar’s store, and it is believed that Amar pulled it off by pretending to be Vinay, while an innocent Vinay was with Anjali.
IMAGE: Ashok Kumar, Dev Anand and Vyjayanthimala and Faryal in Jewel Thief.
Vinay is convinced to impersonate Amar, and meet the criminal mastermind’s associate, Helen (Helen).
Vinay meets the other members of Amar’s gang (that include Fariyal and Anju Mahendru) and eventually learns that he has gone to Gangtok.
Meanwhile, Vinay and Shalini fall in love.
If Vyjayanthimala looks a bit out of sorts in many scenes, it is because she and the director were having a battle of egos on the set.
Ashok Kumar’s ill-health required schedules to be worked around him, and she resented that, refused to rehearse and was reportedly sulky all through the making of the film.
IMAGE: Dev Anand and Vyjayanthimala in the song Hothon Mein Aisi Baat from Jewel Thief.
The plan in Gangtok is to steal the crown jewels and make sure the real thief gets away.
Shalini is forced to facilitate the entry of the gang by staging the spectacular dance number, Hothon Mein Aisi Baat, which was an example of the director’s wonderful song picturisations that film students reportedly study to learn how songs can be used to enhance a sequence.
The dance, with its fast and frenzied steps and constantly moving camera, was choreographed by Sohanlal, whose assistant was Saroj Khan, before she made a name for herself.
The other songs, like the teasing Yeh Dil Na Hota Bechara, romantic Aasmaan Ke Neeche and Dil Pukare Aa Re Aa Re, the sad Rula Ke Gaya Sapna, Helen’s cabaret Baithe Hain Kya Uske Paas, and Tanuja’s sexy Raat Akeli Hai — composed by SD Burman and written by Majrooh Sultanpuri — are all musical masterpieces.
All the songs add to the scene and take the story forward. There are no wasted moments.
IMAGE: Dev Anand and Anju Mahendru in Jewel Thief.
The big reveal of who made the whole complicated plan is revealed at the right point, and it comes as a surprise to the viewer.
Those who have seen the film will also be tempted to do a recall and figure out where the red herrings were placed. It is brilliant writing and clever misdirection.
A film like that can never be remade or be tampered with in any way.
A sequel, Return of Jewel Thief, was released in 1996, with Dev Anand and Ashok Kumar reprising their roles, and stars like Dharmendra and Jackie Shroff joining the cast. It was a flop.
Directed by Ashok Tyagi, it lists as one of the writers as Sanjay Nirupam, who went on to quit films and enter politics.
One other thing that marks the passage of time: Anjali and her friends go for a picnic at Mumbai’s north eastern suburb of Powai, which is a large empty tract of land. Mumbai residents know what the area looks like now.
