(2023, India, 92')
In a remote railway station in India, a newborn is taken from its mother, a poor woman living in a tribal area. Two brothers witness the fact and decide, together with the woman, to look for the kidnapped baby. As they travel, the already tense relationship between the two men will be tested. Stolen depicts the complexity and hard reality of the modern world as well as its contradictory nature. The film reflects on the role of institutions and on their fallibility, whose consequences on society could be egregious. From a sense of total mistrust towards the system, the filmmaker lets a deep feeling of humanity and solidarity emerge, which will unite and guide the three protagonists in their mission.
An Indian filmmaker with decades of experience, Karan Tejpal started his career in Bollywood, to later expand in the world of advertisement and television. Between 2006 and 2009, he worked as assistant director for films Lage Raho Munna Bhai and 3 Idiots. Among other works by Tejpal, The Sunset Club (2014) was selected for the NFDC Screenwriters Lab and Nisar (2016) was awarded at the Drishyam Sundance Screenwriters Lab. The filmmaker is currently working on a documentary on Kashmir and on the temple of Amarnath, a site of worship for the Hindus.
