Saif Ali Khan, who headlines the recently-released Netflix heist thriller Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins, has revealed that he “hated” himself on the very first day of shoot.

In a candid conversation on IMDb alongside co-star Jaideep Ahlawat and producer Siddharth Anand, Khan said he felt out of sorts during the opening night shoot of the high-octane heist drama.

“We started at 1am and finished around 5am. It was the first time I met Jaideep. As usual, I hated myself because it was the first day. Sometimes, to be honest, I don’t know what I’m doing. I was a little nervous. A little tired. A little lost,” said the actor.

Directed by Suparn Verma and produced by Anand’s Marflix Pictures, Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins stars Khan, Ahlawat, Kunal Kapoor and Nikita Dutta in a stylised tale of a high-stakes diamond robbery. The film is currently streaming on Netflix.

Khan said he was drawn to the film by the emotional depth of his character. “He’s a rebellious kind of guy who has made his way in the world. He’s a sympathetic character, who has his heart in the right place and does things for the right reasons,” he said. “There’s a line in the film where he says that sometimes good people have to do bad things to save their family — and that was an important line for me.”

For Anand, returning to the action genre was a passion project. “It’s a genre that I love watching and it’s always exciting to create something like this. I love to do things that push me and give me sleepless nights,” said the Pathaan filmmaker.

Ahlawat, known for his grounded intensity on screen, kept it light with his response on what made him sign on. “Marflix, Netflix, Saif sir, Siddharth, Mamta ma’am and blonde Jaideep Ahlawat,” he quipped.

The admiration between Khan and Ahlawat was mutual, with the Paatal Lok star saying, “I’m surprised just working with him [Saif]. I’ve done something good that I’m working with him — that’s a surprise for me also.” Khan added that Ahlawat’s transformation caught him off guard: “He was lean, mean, badass — very sexy — giving young Sanjay Dutt vibes.”