Whatever the entertainment value of writer-director Neeraj Pandey’s ‘Special 26’ may be, it glorifies crime to an intolerable extent. Although based loosely on the daring, unsolved heist at Mumbai’s Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri jewellery shop in 1987, the screenplay has far too many loose ends, besides encouraging the thought that crime pays.

Though he makes a good thriller, Neeraj Pandey’s direction leaves a few gaps to be filled. He does well with the chor-police story, managing to keep it away from the Hollywood style sleek ones and keeping this much more grounded. But the first half is a long wait and much of the action and chasing happens after the interval. The badly handled and interjected romance and songs are another stain.