MUMBAI: In an exclusive conversation with IANS, director Kookie Gulati opened up about his much-anticipated upcoming film Jewel Thief. Known for his gripping storytelling and visual flair, Gulati shared insights into the film’s plot and the creative process behind bringing this thrilling narrative to life.
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00:00Do you want to know that you are getting a visual flicker, what are the reasons about it?
00:08Actually, the one very big reason was Siddharth Anand.
00:12He is a producer of the film.
00:14And because of that, when they called me that there is a picture that they want me to do,
00:22I immediately jumped.
00:24My old friends are also.
00:26And he is a good rapper.
00:28Also, I look up to him as a big filmmaker.
00:30He is a very big movie maker.
00:32He is his world.
00:34And I really like this genre.
00:37My first picture was Prince in this world.
00:40So, I feel that I am very comfortable with this world.
00:45So, when Siddharth Anand Mamta got the phone, I immediately said yes.
00:51Sir, just after Prince's story, looking back, do you feel Prince was misunderstood genius or just ahead of its timing the way the audience didn't took it back?
01:03Those are very amazing, lovely words.
01:06But I think that every picture will work if it is good.
01:13Maybe the timing was a bit too early.
01:15But at the same time, I would say every picture comes a time.
01:21In fact, people, it has almost become a cult.
01:24The kind of feedback I am getting today about Prince.
01:28And the amount of messages I keep getting.
01:33And I think my music is still tracking and trending.
01:40So, somewhere I feel that maybe I also should have made something that was for the times actually.
01:48But maybe we thought ahead.
01:51Which is not a bad thing.
01:53There is a little late appreciation but it has come.
01:56So, I am very happy.
01:57I think that the box office is definitely a correct teller.
02:01If the picture works, it is a good thing.
02:06Sometimes, in the case of Prince, it picks up much later maybe.
02:12But yeah, it is good.
02:14Joel Thief also talked about.
02:15So, Money Heist has made a lot of films on Money Heist.
02:18So, how does this film give a lot of life?
02:21What is going on?
02:23This is actually on a diamond heist.
02:26His name is Red Sun.
02:28It is an African diamond.
02:29It is on his heist.
02:31I think a lot of time, a lot of time has come in India.
02:35And the best part is that the actors, Saif Ali Khan,
02:41Jaidi Palawat, Kunal Kapoor, Nikita Dutta.
02:45This actor's mission is just amazing.
02:48Saif, of course, being this cool character,
02:51he is the OG Saif.
02:54I think in this film, you will see him.
02:57You will have a big surprise with Jaidi Palawat.
03:01I don't think that in this look or in this feel,
03:04one has seen Jaidi.
03:06Which is amazing.
03:07Similarly, even for Nikita and Kunal.
03:10Kunal is in a very amazing avatar.
03:13As a cop.
03:14Which is amazing.
03:15And Nikita also away from her comfort zone.
03:19Sir, usually we see that if a maker makes a stylish film,
03:24or if a filmmaker makes a stylish film,
03:27then there will be a story line.
03:29So, what do you think?
03:30No.
03:31Because the audience is fast-paced,
03:35but in fast-paced,
03:37there will be a story line.
03:40How do you think?
03:41No.
03:42No.
03:43It can happen.
03:44But thankfully,
03:45our film is not.
03:46Our story is a big bedrock in this picture.
03:50If you see it, you will understand.
03:52I think,
03:53at the end of the day,
03:55people love entertainment.
03:57So,
03:58our
03:59try is to
04:01with a great story line,
04:03and if we can put in a bigger,
04:05big scale film,
04:07a heist film,
04:08a heist film.
04:09So,
04:10I think,
04:11it is a spectacle for the audience.
04:13And,
04:14if you miss the storyline in a heist film,
04:17then,
04:18you will not see the man's judgment.
04:20So,
04:21I think,
04:22that is the story.
04:23The story is fantastic.
04:25Jules Thief's story is very good.
04:27It's very fast.
04:29Youth,
04:30and in fact,
04:31everybody will connect to it very well.
04:33Sir,
04:34the industry called you a dark horse,
04:36because they don't know how to categorize your style.
04:39Because they still understand it.
04:41What do you think?
04:45Yeah,
04:46I mean,
04:47what is it?
04:48Sometimes,
04:49because I have not,
04:50I have not picked a particular genre as a director,
04:55and I have explored different genres.
04:57I have also done Prince,
04:59Big Bull,
05:00Dhoka,
05:01Visfort,
05:02Abdul Thief.
05:03So,
05:04every film,
05:05has its own story,
05:06and its own style.
05:08So,
05:09maybe for that reason,
05:10because,
05:11in our industry,
05:12categorize,
05:13that,
05:14if it is a thriller,
05:15then,
05:16it will only be a thriller.
05:17So,
05:18I think,
05:19I have tried to break that part.
05:20I go for the script.
05:22I like the script.
05:23The story,
05:24I choose that kind of script.
05:28So,
05:29Dark Horse,
05:30I don't know about that.
05:32But,
05:33yeah,
05:34I think,
05:35I think,
05:36my time has come.
05:38Do you think the story or creative baby,
05:42or are you executing someone else's vision with that?
05:45No.
05:46I am definitely,
05:48for me,
05:49the northern star,
05:51guiding light,
05:52is Siddharth Anand.
05:54His story is Siddharth Anand.
05:56This is his story.
05:57He has visualized it,
05:59or he has written it.
06:01But,
06:02of course,
06:03after a point,
06:04when a writer,
06:05director,
06:06producer,
06:07one other director,
06:08one other director,
06:09then,
06:10obviously,
06:11he wants him,
06:12to make it his own.
06:14Which I have tried to do.
06:15I have tried to do.
06:16When I came to this picture,
06:19I had a shoot.
06:21There was another director.
06:23And,
06:24when I came on board,
06:25I spoke with Siddharth Siddharth,
06:27a long story about the film.
06:29We have re-write,
06:30we have re-shoot.
06:31And,
06:32I tried to make it my own.
06:35So,
06:36I gave it a flavor.
06:38And,
06:39I tried to make it my own.
06:41Despite being praised for your bold ideas,
06:44why have we seen your directorial output
06:47been so infrequent over the years?
06:50Actually,
06:51the question is a little different.
06:55I have actually done 4 films in 5 years.
06:57So,
06:58I have done 4 films in 5 years.
06:59I have done 4 films in 5 years.
07:01So,
07:02I have done 4 films in 5 years.
07:06I have done 4 films in 5 years.
07:08So,
07:09in 2020,
07:10my big bull was released.
07:11Then,
07:12in 2022,
07:14my Dhoka was released.
07:16In 2024,
07:18I have released Wisfort
07:19and in 2025,
07:20I have released Jewel Thief.
07:22So it's been 4 films in 5 years. I think I've been pretty blessed.
07:26A big gap came after Prince.
07:29So Prince and Big Bull was a big gap.
07:3510 years, almost 9 years.
07:37But before that, I also worked as creative director in Total Dhamal.
07:41So somewhere I took a break from direction after Prince for about 4-5 years.
07:47And then I started writing stories.
07:50And I thought that this time is good for me to come back.
07:54I came back a little more grown up and a little more aware.
07:59Sir, do you think your brand of storytelling is to edgy or cynical for the average of Bollywood audience?
08:06I mean, I think edgy is a very good word.
08:13If a film is edgy, it's good.
08:16I think every picture, there is an audience for that film.
08:22So I try to stay true to the script.
08:25I try to hold that as close to the script.
08:30Of course, I want to make it big and grand and successful.
08:43But not just to make it big and grand and successful, I don't think I'll compromise with the script.
08:50So I try to be honest with the script as I can.
09:03Sir, do you think that big stars' creative freedom or working with them is necessary even in body mode?
09:09Big stars is definitely positive.
09:15If we reach there, it's very good.
09:17If a big star wants to work with me, of course, I'll be extremely happy.
09:22Because they do bring a certain visibility to the project.
09:28They do bring a certain viability to the project.
09:32And I think it is amazing.
09:35But at the same time, you have movies like Lapata Ladies, which didn't have any big star.
09:42In fact, nobody known.
09:44And just turned out to be absolutely amazing.
09:46So I think there's a good combination of both.
09:49Thankfully, our audience has become very smart.
09:53They like good content.
09:55Content is very important.
09:56So if there's a very good content with a very big star,
10:00that kind of a mix, then there's nothing stopping you.
10:04Sir, you have jumped from sci-fi readers to dramas.
10:08Is this versatility or a sign of searching for your signatures?
10:16No, it's versatility.
10:18I think, as I said before, I want to explore a different genre.
10:25I don't think, I think, if you can see all my pictures,
10:30there is a certain signature of mine.
10:32People who know me know that, yeah, this is shot by a cookie.
10:37You know, so I have my certain signature in it.
10:40But as I said, I don't want to take over the script.
10:43I want to go and add into it.
10:46So I want to get into it.
10:48I think versatility is, not many people have it.
10:51And I think I do.
10:53So I would definitely, I love to tell different stories.
10:56I think, a combination of both.
11:08Having big names attached to it, as I said, adds so much to it.
11:16Having, my faith when, actually was when Siddharth Anand called me.
11:23So him having faith in me in the first place was a big one.
11:27The story then came next.
11:29And then when I heard the story.
11:31And I know that there is Jaidi Palawat.
11:34There is Saif Ali Khan.
11:35There is Nikita Datta.
11:36And Kunal in it.
11:38You know, and Kulbushan Ji.
11:39And such amazing actors.
11:41Toh, this is the song.
11:43So I think it all fell in place.
11:45And I must give credit to all of it together.
11:48You know, with a great score story.
11:50With big, big names as well.
11:52You know, it's a very original story.
12:13And this is not dark at all, actually.
12:16It's a, it's a heist film.
12:18It's very bright, you will see.
12:21It's a pure popcorn commercial film.
12:24So it's not dark at all.
12:26It is not, doesn't give you, it has a tinge of darkness.
12:29Because there is a villain in the film.
12:31Toh, obviously there is a dark hint towards, with his character in it.
12:35But as a film, it's fun.
12:37It's very pacey.
12:38And it's very big.
12:40Sir, about locations.
12:42Toh, where did you shoot?
12:43Because it's Siddharth Anand's film.
12:45And you are directing.
12:46So the location is also very good.
12:48They are looking for different different locations.
12:50Yes.
12:51There are some locations in Budapest, Istanbul, India.
12:56There are also some locations in India.
12:58So a big, big mix of everything.
13:00What about the music?
13:02What about the music?
13:03Because you remember the music scene.
13:05What about the music scene?
13:06So what about the music scene?
13:08What about the music scene?
13:09We have four songs in this picture.
13:11One song has already released, Jadu.
13:14Which is a promotional track.
13:16Which is done by Of and Savera.
13:19They have made a song.
13:21Raghav Chaitani has sung.
13:23I think Sid and me.
13:26First Sid, I mean his music, Siddharth Anand.
13:29His music is always unbelievable.
13:33I also got to learn a lot from him.
13:37Thankfully, I also have a decent year in music.
13:40So I think our combination is a good one.
13:42When I joined the film, in fact, the songs were low.
13:46So because I come from a background of music and I love music,
13:51I have actually made it four songs.
13:53Today, there is a four songs album.
13:55There is a romantic track.
13:57There is a track that is on Jewel Thief.
14:01And there is a title track.
14:04Sir, when you talk about Saif Ali Khan,
14:08did you shoot him after that?
14:12No.
14:13After that, our shooting by that time was done.
14:16But he came for dubbing and everything.
14:18So dub and all that he did.
14:20And of course, now he is doing promotions.
14:23Last year, sir.
14:24What about you?
14:26My upcoming projects, hopefully,
14:29I am in talks with Marflix themselves,
14:33with Mamta Anand.
14:35And a couple of things are going on.
14:37But I would like that
14:38that Jewel Thief will release.
14:39And after that,
14:41I try and mount something big this time.
14:44So I also want to do something large and big in big scale.
14:47So hopefully, after Jewel Thief,
14:49I will get that opportunity.