The Heist Movie Review : An engaging heist that misses the mark to be an edge-of-the-seat thriller

Story: Ex-FATF (Financial Action Task Force) agent Ananya meets Neel through the Dark Web to form an unlikely team to conduct a heist to loot a billionaire fugitive of his ill-gotten money and disrupt his smuggling network.

Review: Director Aditya Aawaandhe’s action thriller, The Heist, captivates viewers with its intrigue and strategic planning, despite not featuring any familiar faces in the primary cast. The narrative delves into the intricate lives of its characters, exploring their motivations and struggles within the high-stakes world of crime and deception. However, a tighter screenplay could have made this 132-minute film even better.

The Heist follows Ananya (Suman Rao), a former FATF operative, who joins hands with Neel (Nad Sham), a seasoned swindler deeply entrenched in the Dark Web's murky depths. Their unlikely partnership forms the backbone of a daring scheme—plundering the ill-gotten wealth of fugitive billionaire Viren Shah (Siddhanth Kapoor) and dismantling his extensive smuggling syndicate. Will they be able to beat the odds and get back the money Viren has looted from India?

This premise, penned by Nikita Chaturvedi, delivers an adrenaline-fueled journey brimming with unexpected twists and turns. Aawaandhe's direction ensures that the film maintains a steady pace, although some scenes could benefit from tighter editing. The climactic twist is well-conceived, yet the background score by Yug Bhusal is distracting rather than complementary. Unfortunately, the songs do not add value to the film or extend its runtime.

Debutant Nad Sham delivers with conviction, but his overbearing ascent sometimes pulls down the impact of his portrayal of Neel. Former Femina Miss India, Suman Rao, brings grace and strength to the plot as Ananya. Pratyaksh Rajbhatt as hacker Rayan, Saurabh Saraswat as Ananya’s partner Rahul, and Tasneem Khan as Suzy imbue their characters with depth, enhancing the film's overall allure. Siddhanth Kapoor, cast as the primary antagonist, infuses the role with intense energy.

Overall, The Heist transcends the typical 'heist' genre, delivering an average-crafted narrative thriller that grips audiences for most of the time, but it misses the mark of being an edge-of-the-seat thriller.