Archive · 25 Jul 2025
Stolen: A Movie Inspired by the Real-life Incident
The movie "Stolen" is about a real-life event where people were wrongly accused and hurt.
The director made the movie after seeing how quickly and unfairly people can be judged on social media.
The actors, who are also good friends in real life, play brothers in the movie.
They talked about how hard it is to make interesting films and the challenges of releasing the movie.
The filmmakers decided to release it on Amazon Prime Video instead of in movie theaters to reach a global audience.
They also discussed how hard it is for independent filmmakers to make movies and why movies sometimes feel the same.
Stolen, a film based on a 2018 incident, premiered at the Venice Film Festival and released on OTT after traveling to nearly 40 festivals.
The film's director, Karan Tejpal, was inspired by the 2018 Karbi Anglong incident in which two men were lynched based on social media rumors.
Abhishek Banerjee and Shubham Vardhan, who play brothers in the film, found it easy to work together due to their long-standing friendship and common language.
The filmmakers aimed for a global release strategy, which led to the film's premiere on Amazon Prime Video rather than a theatrical release.
The cast and crew discussed challenges within the current ecosystem for independent filmmakers, including distribution and the emphasis on safe business practices.
- Who
- The film features Abhishek Banerjee and Shubham Vardhan, directed by Karan Tejpal, and produced by Gaurav Dhingra.
- What
- A film called Stolen, inspired by the 2018 Karbi Anglong incident, premiered at Venice Film Festival.
- When
- The film was shot in 2023.
- Where
- The film premiered at Venice Film Festival.
- Why
- The film was made to explore the impact of misinformation and injustice, and to create a film with a global reach.
Challenges for Independent Filmmakers
Safety vs Creativity
Distribution vs. Creativity
Challenges for Independent Filmmakers
There's a struggle in independent film distribution.
Safety vs Creativity
Mainstream cinema focuses on safe business practices, hindering creativity.
- Film Title
- Stolen
- Director
- Karan Tejpal
- Producers
- Gaurav Dhingra
- Lead Actors
- Abhishek Banerjee, Shubham Vardhan
- Basis
- 2018 Karbi Anglong incident
- Platform
- Amazon Prime Video