Film:
Stolen
Bubble Rating:
Director: Karan Tejpal
Writers: Karan Tejpal, Gaurav Dhingra, Swapnil Salkar
Cast: Abhishek Banerjee, Shubham Vardhan, Mia Maelzer
Platform: Amazon Prime
Runtime: 1 hour 37 mins
Stolen Review
In the quiet early hours at a remote railway station, a seemingly chance encounter sets off a chain of events that will forever alter the lives of a few young individuals. Gautam (Abhishek Banerjee) is there to pick up his brother Raman (Shubham Vardhan) for an opulent destination wedding, but their journey takes an unexpected turn when they cross paths with Jhumpa Mahato(Mia Maelzer).
Already a woman broken by life’s hardships and with little left to her name, Jhumpa is overwhelmed with panic upon discovering that her infant daughter has vanished. As a series of unfortunate incidents unfolds, the two brothers become entangled in Jhumpa’s desperate quest to find her child. This perilous odyssey through the unforgiving hinterlands forces them out of their sheltered worlds, confronting raw realities and testing their resilience, trust, and humanity. To know what happens next, read our review of Stolen.
What Works
Themes like mistrust, violence, and child kidnapping are touched upon superficially with depth and nuance. Exploring themes such as illegal practices in the country, like faking documents and illegal surrogacy, does make it worth a watch. The film is a reminder for everyone to be aware of fake news and not believe everything circulated on social media.
What Doesn’t Work
The film’s 90-minute runtime feels stretched, with a plot that fails to grip or offer any real suspense. The technical aspects are mediocre, and the action scenes lack impact. While yes, there is an understanding that people get influenced without fact checking, some scenes are gritty and bloody. Some people may feel nauseous and there are scenes that feel dragged.
Technical Analysis
Direction
The director’s effort to use unique shots and create an immersive experience is noticeable but ultimately ineffective, resulting in a disjointed viewing. It attempts to shed light on aspects of India often overlooked, but the narrative feels shallow and underdeveloped. The action scenes lack impact.
Writing & Screenplay
The blend of dark scenes and violence comes off as jarring and poor. The attempt to explore themes like family dynamics and social disparities is superficial and underdeveloped. The shaky camera work becomes more of a distraction than a stylistic choice, making it hard to follow certain scenes.
Music
The absence of background music is an unconventional choice, but it leaves the film feeling empty and uninvolving.
Star Performances
Abhishek Banerjee as Gautam is not at its best, what we expect after knowing him as Janna from the Stree franchise. However, when it comes to portraying emotions, this man doesn’t miss a mark. Be it the scene where you want to protect your brother or the scene where he reunites the mother and child. Shubham Vardhan has also done a great job in terms of his role as Raman. Shubham showed a generous side to Jhumpa Mahato when no one was willing to believe her. Mia Maelzer as Jhumpa, the mother whose kid gets stolen, does an exceptional job as an actor. Her role is mysterious, with all the secrets she is hiding.
Conclusion
To conclude the review of Stolen, this film promises excitement but fails to deliver a compelling experience. It’s a forgettable film that doesn’t justify its runtime or effort, leaving viewers more disappointed than captivated. If you’ve seen movies like NH10, you might want to skip this one as it doesn’t stand out and leaves you more frustrated than entertained. Overall, this movie misses the mark in delivering socially relevant or entertaining content and ends up being quite dull.
We hope our review of Stolen will help you decide to watch it.
Watch The Trailer Of Stolen
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Akankshya Mukherjee has a passion for creativity and the drive to contribute as a valuable asset to the organisation. She is hungry for learning new skills. For her professional journey, she sees potential growth in communications, content writing, and reporting.