Sikkim remembers its “Jewel Thief”

The Jewel Thief, which won many hearts across the globe, is no more. Veteran actor-director Dev Anand passed away early on December 3 in London. He was 88 years old and had been admitted to the hospital for cardiac arrest. The evergreen actor had charmed Hindi movie watchers for more than five decades.

Dev Anand’s 1967 “ Jewel Thief”, directed by his younger brother Vijay Anand, now considered one of the best thriller movies in India, helped introduce the small majestic beauty of the kingdom of Sikkim to the celluloid screen. The film was a huge success, and the rest is history. Who can forget those immortal songs picturized at the beautiful locales of Sikkim, especially the song “Hoton Pay Aaisi Baat” picturized inside the Royal Palace at Gangtok?

Shyam Pradhan, Actor and Producer of the Hindi film Romeo in Sikkim, the first and only Hindi film to be made in Sikkim, has expressed deep condolences to the family of the evergreen actor. Pradhan has said the untimely death of the legend is a big loss to the Bollywood Industry, and such a person with a wonderful heart shall always be missed.

From Dev Anand's website

Pradhan, in his words, said that he was in his school when the shooting of Jewel Thief was held at Gangtok, and he remembers running off to watch the shoot. Still fresh in his memories are watching those megastars of Hindi cinema, Dev Anand, Ashok Kumar, Vyjayantimala, Anju Mahendru, and others.

Wherever the shooting moved, I was with my friends, following them, whether at Norkhil Hill Hotel, Secretariat, or near Tashi Namgyal High Secondary School. Pradhan said that Madan Pradhan, a local artiste from Sikkim, played a pivotal role in the movie. I do not hesitate to say that Jewel Thief inspired me to make a movie. I went to Bombay and talked with the technician. I brought them to Sikkim, and thus, ‘Romeo in Sikkim’ was shown at Gangtok in 1975, added Pradhan.

Most of the shooting took place in and around then Gangtok, but it is also known that a small part of the shooting was also done at Singtam bazaar, but it was never to be seen on the big screen. Gaya Gupta, one of the oldest owners of a paan dokan at the heart of Singtam bazaar, recalls a scene in which the veteran actor had a vehicle chasing him in the middle of the road. In his words, Gupta says he had seen the film shooting at Singtam bazaar where Dev Anand was being chased but does not recall any other; the thing is more than 40 years now, he says. RS Prasad, a cash crop businessman from Singtam during the 1960s, remembers seeing the shooting of the Jewel Thief at Singtam. Prasad remembers Dev Anand running from the middle of the Singtam bazaar and through the old iron bridge he crossed, and the shot was called off.

Jaiman Rai, a local from Gangtok in his mid-sixties remembers the days of the shooting, Rai adds Dev Anand had such great charisma, the people of the hills loved him a lot and I have seen girls falling in the ground just watching him at Darjeeling. It is even said that women out there had married him with his photographs during those days, said Rai. Sunita Gurung from Rongli, in her early 30s, has thanked Dev Anand for making Jewel Thief in Sikkim. Gurung said that she was not born in Independent Sikkim, but watching the film is like revisiting that aura through a movie. I simply love the movie, its story, acting, songs above all a complete package.