Abhishek Banerjee’s ‘Stolen’ receives standing ovation at Venice Film Festival

Stolen, an edge-of-the-seat thriller starring Abhishek Banerjee has been making headlines for being premiered at the prestigious Venice Film Festival 2023.

Garnering immense acclaim from both the audiences and critics, Stolen received a five-minute-long standing ovation after the screening of the film.

Helmed by Karan Tejpal, Stolen on Thursday had its special premiere at the Venice Film Festival alongside impressive international features, notably David Fincher's The Killer, Bradley Cooper's Maestro, and Sofia Coppola's true-story movie Priscilla.

Present for the big premiere night was the entire cast and crew of Stolen, along with the makers of the film.

The film has been described as a “breathtaking action thriller” and the “hidden gem in world cinema” by Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera, as per the statement.

Today, makers unveiled Abhishek Banerjee’s first look image from the film.

Taking to Instagram, trade analyst Taran Adarsh shared the details and poster.

Looking intense, rough, and scathed, his look has truly left cinephiles intrigued.

A highly anticipated thriller, Stolen narrates the tale of a five-month-old baby being abducted from her mother, and this incident draws the attention of brothers Gautam and Raman, leading them to face various challenges that test their relationships and convictions.

Talking about the film, director Karan Tejpal and producer Gaurav Dhingra jointly said in a statement, “This is an extremely special film for us. We have had some extraordinary talents coming together to make this film what it is today. It feels great to see the response Stolen has received from the audiences here at The Venice Film Festival. Here’s our first look image from the film and we can’t wait to see everyone’s reactions to it. It’s an honour for us to have our film showcased along with some notable international works at the Venice Film Festival this year and receive a standing ovation. Our hearts are full.”

Abhishek Banerjee also shared his thoughts saying, “Stolen is such an extraordinary film and it has been incredible working on it. It feels so special and I’ve immense gratitude to have received so much love for our film during its premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The standing ovation that our film received was an unforgettable moment and has been the biggest reward as an actor. Here we are unveiling the first look image to thank our audiences for all the love they are sending in for the film and each one of us. It’s been one of my most challenging yet fulfilling roles as an actor. Even though it was emotionally and physically challenging, I cherish every bit of this experience and nothing truly could have made it more special.”

Stolen is directed by Karan Tejpal and produced by Gaurav Dhingra of Jungle Book Studio. It co-stars Shubham and Mia Maelzer in key roles.

Venice Film Festival 2023 takes place from August 30 - September 9.