When one watches the world presented in Dev & Vijay Anand's
"Jewel Thief" (1967) one knows they have been transported
to an incredible fantasy land that is both baroque and exotic. This
is a world that is full of all the wonders, accessories, and excess'
of the Modern Western landscape. American Cars and Western clothes,
Modern Western architecture and furnishings of the hippest design,
gadgets that automate the most mundane of tasks, it's the Western
lap of luxury, all on full display. What is pictured here is an 'Exotic
West' that becomes absolutely one of the main features of "Jewel
Thief". In 1967 for the majority of Indians who had never
traveled to the West, watching "Jewel Thief" must have been
a thrill to watch. T.K. Desai's fantastic art direction for the sets
created a make believe world that most could only dream of.
As a Westerner I am so used to seeing kitsch images of the 'Exotic
East' in Hollywood films. It struck me watching "Jewel Thief"
That the East also does the same thing when picturing the West. One
of the finest examples of this exoticizing of the West is the set
design for "Jewel Thief".
Here are 32 still captures from "Jewel Thief" with commentary
that look at the way T.K. Desai and the Anand Brothers used this 'exotic
West' theme to thrill the audience.
