A Cold Night, a Sensitive Premise

When class difference is picturized, it is the director's take of an objective reality that you see on screen. Stolen is a neat and honest take on illegal surrogacy manifested as a demand supply problem in its core. 

Fittingly, there is no music in this movie owing to the sensitive nature of topic at hand. The plot begins in a railway station on a cold winter night (what is it about winters and crime anyways?).

Brothers at Odds Over Worldviews

The two protagonists are brothers - Gautam (Abhishek Banerjee) and Raman (Shubham Vardhan). There is friction between them - one lives off by the family money and the other is an independent photographer which makes them look at the same world very differently. 

They clash in helping Jhumpa (Mia Maelzer) - a migrant worker from Bengal with a missing infant seemingly 'abducted' for unknown reasons.

Society’s Contradictions on Display

On encountering a hard choice, the elder sibling has to relent - one of the many aspects through which the movie mirrors Indian society. 

Likewise, you also see cops smirk on the the subject of parental remarriage and harbor superstitions - 21st century is not homogenously progressive after all..

Stolen is a curious melting pot of practicality and idealism. Initially, using wealth as 'get-out-of-jail-free-card' is shown in a negative light (so typical) - but when push comes to shove, it is a bribe to the rescue (always is innit?). 

Survival and Shifting Beliefs

The protagonists then trot their way through rural Haryana in a SUV as they battle out the impact of fake news and vigilante justice that it fuels. No food, no water - just pure survival.

Cornered & under attack, the idealist in Raman nearly flips from a believer to a doubter, highlighting a trust deficit between the 'gullible' rich and the 'unscrupulous' poor that we might have come across in reel and real life. After all how easy it is to change judgement when things are desperate huh? 

Pushed to the edge, the cynic in Gautam eventually comes around for the larger cause. A desperate Jhumpa gives in to her maternal instincts and takes a last stand. Inexplicably, you also see a dirty cop find his lost morals as the story motors on.

Performances and Final Verdict

Directed by debutant Karan Tejpal, Stolen was showcased in the Venice Film Festival but it is not an 'art-film' - it can be watched and understood well by you and me. 

What works for the film is its pace - it builds up nicely right from the start. Although the climax feels a bit rushed, the cinematography is on point and directional storyline manages to make up for lack of steam as the plot forwards.

Don't go by the banner...this movie is not all about Abhishek Banerjee, or is it? He sure delivers a moving performance but I won't call it his best work. 

The supporting cast play their roles well. Somehow, Stolen covers all the bases yet leaves you wanting for a bit more in the end.