Kunal Kapoor defends Jewel Thief after abysmal reviews: ‘It was never supposed to be this profound thing'

Indian Express

13-05-2025

Fans were looking forward to Saif Ali Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat, and Kunal Kapoor's film The Jewel Thief, which recently released on Netflix. However, the film failed to make a mark and received negative reviews from both critics and audiences alike. Now, Kunal Kapoor has come to the defense of the film, claiming that it fulfilled its primary motive — to entertain.
Speaking to The Hindustan Times, Kunal said,, 'You would obviously want the film to land 100%. That is the most important thing, of course, because if people enjoy the film, they enjoy your work.'
The actor claimed that the film's aim was to entertain the audience and not be 'profound' cinema. He said, 'Having said that, the reactions that I have gotten from people have shown that it did what it was supposed to do, which was entertain. It was supposed to be fun and have enough surprises to keep you engaged. That, it has done. It was never supposed to be this profound thing that changes your opinion about the world. It was supposed to be a fun ride and it has delivered on that.'
The Indian Express's Shubhra Gupta gave the film one star and called it 'lazy and banal.' The film currently holds a 4.1 out of 10 rating on IMDb and a disappointing 6 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Jewel Thief also marked the return of Saif Ali Khan to the screen after he suffered a knife attack at his home in Mumbai. The film was seen as a comeback of sorts for Saif, who underwent two surgeries following the attack. The film also starred Jaideep Ahlawat, whose dance moves on the song 'Jaadu' went viral.
For Kunal, too, it marked a return to the screen after four years. He was last seen in the Netflix film Ankahi Kahaniya. During the same interaction, Kunal admitted that he agreed to do The Jewel Thief because the film offered him a fresh character — an Indian Secret Service officer — something he had never played before. He said, 'It was multiple things starting with a chance to do something I haven't done before. That's the most important thing for an actor.' He added, 'This kind of character has always been my favourite. It's just unfortunate I have never had the chance to be part of one of these films.'