Stolen is the new Indian thriller that’s quickly becoming one of the most talked-about releases of the year. Directed by Karan Tejpal and starring Abhishek Banerjee in a tense, layered performance, the film is backed by producers like Anurag Kashyap and Kiran Rao. It had its global premiere at the Venice Film Festival before landing on Prime Video, and it hasn’t stopped making waves since.
Set largely at a remote railway station in rural India, the film follows two brothers who witness a baby being kidnapped, only to find themselves blamed for it. As the situation spirals and a mob gathers, the movie dives headfirst into questions of fear, class, and how quickly things fall apart when facts don’t matter.
Here’s why Stolen has critics and viewers calling it one of the most urgent Indian films in recent memory:
1. Rishabh Suri, Hindustan Times
"The premise is intriguing, packed with potential for drama...Stolen is a well-acted thriller that hooks you from the first frame and doesn’t let go. It raises questions and leaves you thinking long after the credits roll. It's a gripping one-night story that doesn’t just entertain; it resonates."
2. Abhishek Srivastava, Entertainment Times
"It also says a lot about the India we don’t often see on screen—the divide between the privileged and the poor, the deep mistrust, the quiet desperation of those with no safety net. All of that is woven in without feeling preachy or obvious. Stolen isn’t perfect, but it’s gripping, well-acted, and emotionally honest. If you’re in the mood for something raw and real—a thriller that keeps you hooked without feeling overcooked—this one’s definitely worth checking out."
3. Rahul Desai, The Hollywood Reporter India
"The overarching theme of Stolen is potent, if all too familiar. It stems from the collision of two Indias: the privileged one-percenters and the ‘rest’...The narrative physically reflects the conflict—and everyday dynamic—between its seen and unseen worlds...Of the many things stolen in the film—a five-month-old baby, a woman’s voice and agency, motherhood, power, sanity—it says something that the stealing of male dignity echoes the loudest. It says more that the film at once exposes this truth and confesses to it."
4. Rashmi Vasudeva, Deccan Herald
"This is a film utterly determined not to digress. It cuts to the chase right from the first scene and never loosens its grip on your jugular. And a chase it is, not just through the physical landscapes of barren and ruthless north India, but also through the rocky terrains of patriarchy, corruption, mob mentality, deadly misinformation, and more....Watch it because every now and then, we need to see ourselves in the darkening mirror."
5. Sajin Shrijith, The Week
"Stolen is one of those films that grabs your attention from the get-go. And in this age of dwindling attention spans and declining quality of most mainstream Bollywood fare, such films are a rarity. It's a gritty, lean and mean film that upends certain expectations as to what a "thriller" is supposed to do."
6. Rachit Gupta, Filmfare
"Stolen has a rare quality. It manages to make the viewer laugh, gasp and introspect all at the same time. The banter and emotional tug-of-war between brothers Raman and Gautam entertains, their tryst with misfortune stuns, Jhumpa's tragic reactions and her murky backstory keep your brain in a guessing-game limbo. Thanks to taut editing, a near-flawless screenplay and stellar camera work, Stolen keeps the viewer engaged at all times."
7. Nandini Ramnath, Scroll
"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. 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....A tightly constructed, immersive movie."
8. Gaurang Chauhan, MensXP
"Stolen is a terrifying and gripping watch that deals with the politics, the mob mentality, the harsh reality of two Indias. It is a perfect companion movie to Sudhir Mishra’s Afwaah (2023) and Navdeep Singh’s NH10 (2015)."