Abhishek Banerjee Starrer Stolen Might Just Be The Most Urgent Thriller of The Year
Trailer begins with a baby vanishing at a railway station and spirals into a thriller that you won't forget
In its intense start, Stolen, the Amazon Prime Video original directed by Karan Tejpal, starring Abhishek Banerjee, narrates the ordeal of two urbane brothers, Gautam and Raman Bansal, witnessing the kidnapping of a baby from an impoverished mother at a railway station some place in hinterlands in northern India.
A baby, Champa, barely more than a year old, vanishes into thin air with no clue left behind of who has abducted the kid in the silence of the night. The only suspects are the Bansal brothers, one of whom is spotted by the bystanders near the crime scene.
While Banerjee’s character says the obvious rhetorically, “Which idiot would stick around after stealing a baby”, people are quick to suspect them as traffickers disguised as urbane people.
Soon after one morally righteous brother convinces the other to help the woman find her child, the trio find themselves surrounded by hostile villagers in hinterlands in northern India, unaware of is the news of the missing baby spreading like wildfire on social media accusing them of the crime. Thus, leading to a relentless chase by blood-hungry men seeking justice.
The film that has won 6 awards across several film festivals internationally and is under the executive production of Anurag Kashyap, Kiran Rao, Nikhil Advani, and Vikramaditya Motwane is a relentless chase that grows intense with each scene unfolding in front of you. One to make your heart race faster, Stolen, is an intense crime thriller that’s raw in its depiction and intensity.
But don’t for a second think, Stolen, is some slow-burner festival darling. It’s not. The film that made noise at the Venice film festival last year punches you right in the gut without trying to preach anything. Steeped in urgency from the get-go, the intensity of the film trailer keeps you stuck to your seat and is likely the one that will jolt you awake from your sleep right in the middle of the night.
Stolen is set for an OTT release on June 6 on Amazon Prime Video unfolding the horror that catches the two brothers and the audiences in the midst of a crime and the intensely gripping trailer leaves behind questions that need answering, even if uncomfortable: What would you do if it happened right in front of you? Would you intervene or look away? Would you even notice, let alone go on a search for a woman who has no connection with you?
Why should you watch Stolen? It’s a mirror—dark, cracked, and terribly honest. It’s a film that believes in the intelligence of its audience and the complexity of its characters. The trailer is notable for what it doesn’t say. There’s very little dialogue. Instead, it relies on glances, atmosphere, and a throbbing score that’s more discomfort than melody.
There’s also a doubt whether Mia Maelzer’s character, Jhumpa, the mother, is really the mother of the missing baby. Nevertheless, she wants to find the baby whatever the stakes be.
Every frame suggests that dreary feel of the situation. But no one in the trailer feels heroic, even though the brothers want to help out Jhumpa. No grand speeches or big reveals. Everyone is unsure, afraid, and cornered all wrapped in a hard-hitting realism that provokes your thoughts and delves into the psychological aftermath of a chilling crime.
The trailer climaxes with haunting visuals of Abhishek’s character brutally beaten and drenched in blood. Sharing insights Karan Tejpal said: “With Stolen, I set out to tell a raw and honest story about two starkly different worlds that collide in unexpected ways.
“On the surface, Stolen unfolds as a taut action thriller — but its emotional impact builds quietly, lingering long after the final frame. Set against a stark, rugged landscape, the film is brought to life by powerful performances from Abhishek, Mia, and Shubham,” he added.