Abhishek Banerjee's 'Stolen' bags 2 Asian Academy nominations
What's the story
Actor-producer Abhishek Banerjee is on cloud nine as his film Stolen has bagged two nominations at the Asian Academy Creative Awards (AACA) 2025. Karan Tejpal, in his directorial debut, was nominated for Best Director and the film itself was nominated for Best Feature Film (Fiction). "I feel Stolen was made for a universal audience. Thanks to the guts of Gaurav [Dhingra, producer] and Karan, it's representing India at the prestigious event," Banerjee told Mid-day.
Film details
Reflecting on 'Stolen' and its journey
Set in rural India, Stolen features Banerjee, Shubham Vardhan, and Mia Maelzer. The story follows two brothers on a mission to help a woman rescue her kidnapped child. "It's not easy to stand by a film like this. It's not a big-budget spectacle or a formulaic drama but that was the reason we wanted to do it," said Banerjee, reflecting on the AACA nominations.
Director's praise
Banerjee lauded Tejpal for his sensitive handling of narrative
Banerjee lauded Tejpal for his sensitive handling of the narrative. "Karan brought sensitivity to the subject. He never treated it like just another thriller; he wanted it to be honest and human," said Banerjee. "It takes courage for a debut director to stick to his vision the way Karan did." Stolen will compete with Lembayung (Indonesia), Bullet Train Explosion (Japan), and Though Dead, Still Alive (Taiwan) in the Best Feature Film (Fiction) category.