Stolen Movie Review: A Gripping Crime Thriller with Emotional Depth

Stolen (2025) is a powerful Hindi-language crime thriller directed and written by Karan Tejpal (alongside writers Gaurav Dhingra and Swapnil Salkar). Featuring commanding performances from Abhishek Banerjee, Shubham Vardhan, and Mia Maelzer, the film unfolds in a tense 90-minute runtime, delivering a razor-sharp exploration of mob mentalities, class divides, and human empathy. Released directly on Amazon Prime Video on June 4, 2025, this debut feature establishes Tejpal as a filmmaker with both stylistic restraint and critical insight.

Cast and Crew of Stolen

• Director & Writer: Karan Tejpal
• Writers: Gaurav Dhingra, Swapnil Salkar
• Producers: Anurag Kashyap, Kiran Rao, Nikkhil Advani, Vikramaditya Motwane

Main Cast:

• Abhishek Banerjee as Gautam Bansal
• Shubham Vardhan as Raman Bansal
• Mia Maelzer as Jhumpa
• Harish Khanna, plus a strong ensemble supporting cast

Stolen Movie Review: Plot Overview

The film begins at a remote railway station in Rajasthan, where Gautam arrives to pick up his brother Raman ahead of their mother’s wedding. Their routine gets violently disrupted when Jhumpa, a tribal woman asleep on the platform, wakes to discover her baby missing. As the trio takes off in Gautam’s black SUV to find the child, a video snippet morphs into explosive evidence on WhatsApp and social media, branding the urban brothers as kidnappers. The chase that ensues—through mobs, police, and rumor—is raw, relentless, and deeply unsettling.

This scenario echoes real-life events from Assam in 2018, where false allegations led to lynchings—a stark mirror to contemporary social fissures.

Performances & On-Screen Chemistry

• Abhishek Banerjee delivers a career-best performance as Gautam—a privileged man forced into moral reckoning. His transformation from apathetic bystander to reluctant defender is gripping and nuanced.
• Shubham Vardhan acts as a grounded counterpoint. His warmer, instinctively moral character contrasts with Gautam’s cynicism.
• Mia Maelzer as Jhumpa is raw and unfiltered. Her portrayal of maternal desperation forms the emotional backbone of the film.

Direction, Cinematography & Tone

Karan Tejpal’s direction is spare yet immersive. He resists melodrama and background score, relying on long takes and naturalism to heighten tension. Cinematographers Isshaan Ghosh and Sachin S. Pillai capture the hostile landscapes—the railway platform, dark highways, and tribal hinterlands—with unflinching realism.

Themes & Message

At its heart, Stolen is a blistering commentary on contemporary India. It dissects:

• Mob mentality and misinformation, fueled by viral videos and moral panic.
• Class and caste divides, with urban guilt confronting rural trauma.
• Humanity buried under prejudice, and whether empathy can pierce through societal walls.

Critical Reception & Ratings

Critics responded positively:

Publication	Rating	Highlights
New Indian Express	3/5	“A riveting mad‑ride…filled with empathy”
India Today	4/5	“Steals your attention…powerful performance”
Times of India	3.5/5	“Gripping tension…raw portrayal”
NDTV	3/5	“Career‑best performance…leaves you shaken”
Moneycontrol / Firstpost	3.5 – 4/5	“Taut, emotionally sharp, socially relevant”
The Week	3.5/5	“Lean and mean…anxiety‑inducing chase thriller”

Final Verdict

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5)

Stolen is a taut, emotionally charged thriller that delivers explosive drama while probing deep moral questions. Bolstered by standout performances, precise direction, and real-world resonance, it stands out in India’s OTT lineup. With only a slight dip in repetitive chase sequences toward the end, the film remains a compelling and thought-provoking experience—one that lingers long after the credits roll.

Watch Stolen on YoMovies

Stream Stolen now on YoMovies—your destination for intense and emotional crime dramas.