FOR actress Nikita Dutta Jewel Thief  The Heist Begins was the kind of film she had long hoped to be part of, stylish, suspenseful, and rooted in a genre she genuinely loves. For someone who had been watching a lot of heist thrillers recently, the timing felt less like coincidence and more like destiny.

 

Opening up about how she landed the role, Nikita shared,“I happened to get a call from Mamta (Anand), saying that we’re making a film like this, would you be keen? When I heard the script for the first time, I was absolutely on board because I tell you honestly I have been personally really enjoying the genre. Through the different re-workings of the script, we found the beauty of Farah, who has substance, she is finding her voice and has a whole lot of oomph which is what I loved." She further revealed that over time she realised that she does not only like to watch heart dramas but would also love to be a part ofone.

 

"I’ve realisedthe kindoffilms that I really like to watch, is something I also want to be a part of. When it comes to working – we all want to be in films that we enjoy watching. For me, because I've been watching a lot of heist films and this came my way, I think that was like an indirect manifestation into the universe because when I heard it I was like 'oh my god, I really wanna be a part of this.' It was a given,” Nikita added.

 

Calling the movie a 'dream come true', she went on to say, “It is one thing when you get a role you’ve almost manifested and it is another when it is with Saif Ali Khan, Jaideep Ahlawat andKunalKapoor.Working on a Siddharth Anand film already felt like a dream come true and then the cast just made this dream a whole lot better. Every shot with Saif,watching Jaideep in front of the camera, and seeing the two of them navigate their spaces, was fascinating.They have learned how to evolve with the times and that has been my biggesttakeaway from the experience, to constantly grow.” ■