KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 9 — What happens when a music festival packed with thousands of concertgoers becomes the perfect hunting ground for four amateur pickpockets?

That is the playful premise behind Indonesia’s Operasi Pesta Copet, which made its Malaysian cinema debut on September 3 and has been drawing positive reactions from local moviegoers and film reviewers.

Directed by Edy Khemod and distributed in Malaysia by Antenna Entertainments, the film follows four young friends — Ijal (Iqbaal Ramadhan), Adut (Kristo Immanuel), Tia (Zulfa Maharani) and Melodi (Kawai Labiba) — who, each facing their own financial troubles, decide to take the risky route of becoming pickpockets.

Their target? Pestapora, Indonesia’s massive music festival, where they plan to blend into the crowd and walk away with 300 smartphones worth 600 million rupiah.

It is an unusual setting for a heist film, and that seems to be part of its charm.

Since its Malaysian release, local reviewers and moviegoers have described the film as “fresh and fun”, praising its “great cast chemistry” and a festival atmosphere that “feels genuinely alive”.

Another review summed it up neatly as “Pickpockets, but it warms the heart”, while its execution was described as “done very effectively”.

And the festival setting is no movie-set illusion.

Much of Operasi Pesta Copet was filmed during the actual Pestapora festival, putting the cast among tens of thousands of real concertgoers.

The result is a noisy, chaotic, and energetic backdrop that gives the film a sense of authenticity that is difficult to recreate on a soundstage.

The story itself also has an unusual real-life connection.

Khemod, who makes his feature directorial debut with the film, was inspired by an experience from his days as the drummer of Indonesian rock band Seringai.

He encountered professional pickpockets operating at concerts, with some reportedly memorising song lyrics and wearing band merchandise to blend seamlessly into the crowd.

The experience eventually sparked the idea of turning festival pickpocketing into the centrepiece of a comedy.

The film was initially announced as Operasi Pestapora during the 2025 edition of the festival before being renamed Operasi Pesta Copet to make its premise clearer.

Produced by Imajinari, Boss Creator and Angin Segar, the film also goes beyond its comedic premise.

Beneath the jokes and attempted thefts are themes of financial hardship, unemployment, and the difficult choices people make when they feel they have run out of options.

The cast also had to put in some work to make their characters’ criminal skills believable, undergoing about two months of sleight-of-hand training with a professional magician.

Back home in Indonesia, the film opened with 40,706 viewers on its first day.

Some moviegoers speculated that demonstrations in Jakarta and several other areas may have affected attendance, although the film later saw its audience numbers grow.

According to Cinepoint, Operasi Pesta Copet had reached 261,931 viewers as of September 6.

For Malaysian audiences, however, the film appears to be finding its appeal in something simpler: it is a comedy about friendship, desperation and a very unconventional heist — all unfolding in the middle of a real music festival.

And sometimes, a little chaos makes for a pretty good night at the cinema.

Operasi Pesta Copet is still screening in selected Malaysian cinemas.