Stolen starts with a disarming visual – an infant sleeping in her mother’s arms. It’s a rare moment of calm in a film which, once it gets going, piles on white-knuckle tension, disturbing visuals and frenetic action.
Karan Tejpal’s directing debut, which is out on Prime Video, is an exercise in the perils of empathy. Written by Tejpal, Gaurav Dhingra and Swapnil Salkar Agadbumb, Stolen revolves around a gross misunderstanding that assumes epic proportions for a pair of well-heeled brothers.
Gautam (Abhishek Banerjee) arrives at night at a train station in a remote town to pick up his younger brother Raman (Shubham Vardhan). The duo are on their way to attend a family wedding. Champa, the five-month-old baby who is with her mother Jhumpa (Mia Maelzer), is snatched away as soon as Raman gets off the train. Raman is accused of kidnapping Champa, even though it is clear that he has nothing to do with it.
The nightmare has only just begun for Raman and Gautam. It extends to the next day and involves a desperate mother, suspicious policemen and vigilante mobs who have been tracking abductions in the area.
Over 92 minutes, Raman and Gautam navigate hostile terrain in the company of a woman who isn’t who she claims to be. A bleeding heart turns out to be a sure-shot route to bodily injuries and severe psychological strain.
The tightly constructed, immersive movie is inspired by the lynching of two men falsely accused of kidnapping in Assam in 2018. In Stolen, Raman’s decision to overrule the pragmatic Gautam’s objections and listen to his conscience leads to the rudest possible introduction to an unfamiliar, brutal side of India.
There are other discoveries too, such as the mistrust in law enforcement beyond the cities. The dismissive treatment of a poor woman like Jhumpa speaks about a larger bias at work. The policemen, led by Panditji (Harish Khanna), are sometimes as quick to judge Gautam and Raman as are the faceless hordes keen on doling out instant punishment.
Despite the occasional contrivances, there is welcome layering in a film that reveals the immense risks involved in venturing out of the bubble of privilege. The sensory rush is paused at times to consider the dynamic between Gautam and Raman. Jhumpa evolves into more than a do-gooder project.
Atmospheric cinematography by Isshaan Ghosh and surgical editing by Shreyas Beltangdy complement the action. The performances by Abhishek Banerjee, Mia Maelzer and Shubham Vardhan are excellent, with an especially compelling turn from Vardhan (who has also contributed to the dialogue).
Karan Tejpal convincingly conjures up an open-air labyrinth within which to trap Gautam, Raman and Jhumpa. There are several dark places where the three characters finds themselves, but perhaps nothing is scarier than the open roads on which they are hounded by bloodthirsty mobs.
Also read:
‘Stolen’ director Karan Tejpal: ‘The film is about trust and having a conscience’
