A poster of the film “Stolen” which is based on true events (image source: IMDB)
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A poster of the film “Stolen” which is based on true events (image source: IMDB)
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A poster of the film “Stolen” which is based on true events (image source: IMDB)” data-image-caption=”
A poster of the film “Stolen” which is based on true events (image source: IMDB)
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The transformation of the Indian village
When we think of Indian villages, we picture massive sun-kissed fields where humans appear like ants from a distance, where latch-less thatched houses are more secure than those in the city with sophisticated surveillance systems, and where technology is absent but seldom missed. Our imagery is backed either by our vacation experiences from our childhood, or a fantasized version seen in mainstream movies. Through cinema, we are also occasionally reminded of them as places of extreme poverty, where even drinking water comes at a premium. But there is a different kind of village in India today. One where the mob is more powerful than the law, one where the cops think twice before setting foot on the dusty grounds. In one such village, two men find themselves valiantly combating the rage of a mob, just hours after a video goes viral.
Fasten your seat belts
Director Karan Tejpal’s movie “Stolen” unfolds at such a breakneck pace that if you are a movie-goer who walks in late into the cinema hall, you may be in for a surprise. The movie’s most important scene happens in the first 30 seconds of the start. An infant is kidnapped (hence the name “Stolen”) from the arms of its sleeping mother, Jhumpa (an outstanding Mia Maelzer), in a deserted railway station in the middle of the night. Moments later, one of the film’s two leading men – Raman (Shubham Vardhan) – finds himself amid a scuffle with Jhumpa, some railway officials, and a cop, who all think he is the kidnapper. Within a short while, the man’s brother Gautam (Abhishek Banerjee) also gets involved, trying to defend his sibling. What happens in the next 24 hours or less forms the rest of the plot.
Breathtaking action
“Stolen” is based on true events, and Director Karan Tejpal adopts an unfiltered approach to the movie’s creation. With the help of his cinematographers Isshaan Ghosh and Sachin Pillai, he shoots the scenes with an amazing level of authenticity. A different filmmaker may have compromised the setting for a smooth movie-viewing experience. But the makers of “Stolen” don’t play it safe. The first half of the movie is almost entirely shot in the dark, with no artificial lighting. There is a nail-biting stretch in a deserted site, where the characters grope in the dark, desperately looking for the kidnapper and related clues. Eschewing the synthetic blue tint commonly seen in movies, the filmmakers air-drop us into the proceedings, as we only “see” as much as we “would” if we were in the dilapidated building ourselves. The action in “Stolen” is raw, without lazy stunts and plasticky special effects. Take, for instance, the scene where scores of villagers race towards a moving jeep. Scarier than a violent Tsunami wave, we tell ourselves the mob-filled Indian village is the last place you want to be.
Emotional core
Despite being a pulsating, suspense-filled action thriller, Stolen has a deeply emotional core. Powered by top performances by a cast that does not appear to be Bollywood A-listers, “Stolen” has an unshakeable human element, as we yearn for the baby to be found and returned to her real mother. With its unwavering focus on the principal characters and the main plot, “Stolen” stays focused on the mission it sets out to achieve. And towards the end, there is a fitting nod to a forest Goddess and how She ensures justice with Her miracles.
Despite not having big names, Stolen thrills us in endless ways. Stolen is not a movie to be watched while multitasking. It demands your attention and offers a massively rewarding experience in return. It is the closest you will get to a virtual reality experience without a VR headset.
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