Karan Tejpal’s gripping directorial debut, Stolen, is making waves both at home and abroad. Backed by a powerful creative team and lauded for its unflinching realism, the Hindi-language crime thriller is being hailed as one of the boldest indie films to come out of India in recent years.
🎬 Director: Karan Tejpal
✍️ Screenplay: Karan Tejpal, Swapnil Salkar-Agadbumb, Gaurav Dhingra
🎥 Producer: Gaurav Dhingra (Jungle Book Studio)
👥 Executive Producers: Anurag Kashyap, Kiran Rao, Nikkhil Advani, Vikramaditya Motwane
📺 Streaming Platform: Prime Video
🔍 Plot
Set in rural India, Stolen follows two urbane brothers who witness a horrifying crime: a baby being snatched from a poor mother at a railway station. Compelled by conscience, the brothers plunge into a dangerous and emotionally charged investigation to uncover the truth — and possibly redeem themselves in the process.
🌟 Cast
- Abhishek Banerjee
- Harish Khanna
- Mia Maelzer (widely praised for her performance)
- Sahidur Rahaman
- Shubham Vardhan
🏆 Festival Triumphs
After premiering at the Venice Film Festival (2023), Stolen earned rave reviews and racked up awards on the international circuit:
- Beijing International Film Festival: Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Actress
- Skip City D-Cinema Festival (Japan): Best Film, Best Director
- Zurich Film Festival: Special Mention
- India Premieres: Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, 28th International Film Festival of Kerala
🎤 Praise from Industry Stalwarts
- Anurag Kashyap: “The tension almost left me breathless… Mia Maelzer is phenomenal. India needs to know her.”
- Kiran Rao: “An adrenaline rush and a truth bomb… a raw, ringside view of contemporary India.”
- Nikkhil Advani: “A taut thriller made by a debutant with precision and depth. I had to get involved.”
📣 Prime Video’s Statement
“Stolen is more than entertainment – it’s a mirror to society,” said Manish Menghani of Prime Video India, emphasizing the platform’s commitment to promoting bold and socially relevant storytelling.
Verdict: Stolen is not just a thriller, but a cinematic jolt of truth and empathy, combining taut narrative tension with deep socio-political commentary. With critical acclaim, a stellar cast, and powerhouse backing, this is one film Indian cinema lovers — and global thriller enthusiasts — won’t want to miss.
🕵️♂️ Streaming soon on Prime Video.
