Latest news with #Stree
India Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
3 dead in RCB victory march stampede outside Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru
1:25 We caught up with Stree actor Abhishek Banerjee and Emmy-nominated director Karan Anshuman before the release of the anticipated 'Rana Naidu 2' on Netflix.
India Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Stolen review: Karan Tejpal's film steals your attention and never lets it go
Actor Abhishek Banerjee's rise to fame with 'Stree' has been well documented. But his versatility and agility to take on a role that demands grit shine best with this week's release - 'Stolen'. Directed by debutant filmmaker Karan Tejpal, 'Stolen' made its mark at various film festivals before making its way to Prime Video. At a time when streaming titles can be challenging and taxing, 'Stolen', in its 90-odd minutes, zips through like a fast car that takes sharp U-turns and shifts gear when you least expect around the events leading up to what happens when a child gets stolen from a sleeping woman at a railway station, it revolves around two brothers - Gautam (Abhishek Banerjee) and Raman (Shubham Vardhan) - who are in a rush to attend their mother's destination wedding. What seems like a casual encounter and banter between two brothers soon turns into a nightmare when a woman named Jhumpa (Mia Maelzer) claims Raman is a possible accomplice in the case of her missing police get involved, tempers rise, and soon suspicion is drawn towards these brothers who, despite their pleas, are sinking into this quick sand of treacherous and murky terrain that doesn't trust outsiders from the city. 'Stolen' is fast, it's tense, and extremely taut. The events unfold so fast that you are left with no choice but to jump on this reckless ride to explore a very unpredictable place. The film explores various themes, like casteism, mob lynching, and the ever-increasing gap between the have and have-nots. advertisementDebutant director Karan Tejpal is able to bring out performances from his cast that are raw, unrehearsed and utterly engaging. While both Banerjee and Vardhan are at the forefront of this madness, the supporting cast is equally good. The camera work is superb as it moves from various terrains, capturing the ever-changing mood of the film. The writing and the dialogues are less dramatic or flashy. The attempt to keep most of the film real and gritty works beautifully.'Stolen' is one of the finest films to come out from a first-time filmmaker. Like the story it seeks to tell, the overall experience might not be near perfect. But then, the agony, fear, and pain of a mother for her child that it showcases make it impossible for you not to jump on this ride. 'Stolen' steals your attention from the opening frame and keeps you hooked till the very end.4 out of 5 stars for 'Stolen'.Trending Reel
India Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Ordinary but unforgettable: Why Pankaj Tripathi's everyday characters stay with you
'It is important to find beauty in the ordinary.' This isn't just a phrase for Pankaj Tripathi, it's what he lives by in his craft. With a face that screams innocence and common-man appeal, Tripathi has become the rare actor whose greatest weapon is his ordinariness, and that's precisely what makes him extraordinary. It's no wonder he perfectly embodies the saying: Ek Bihari sab par bhaari.(One Bihari is above all)advertisementWith the release of his latest series 'Criminal Justice - A Family Matter', the actor is once again back as morally ambiguous advocate Madhav Mishra, solving another murder mystery that is set around Mumbai's high-rise society. The way Pankaj Tripathi brings out the hidden layers from being a lawyer to a family man is very interesting to watch. While we still can't get over Pankaj Tripathi's brilliant performance in the courtroom drama, one particular dialogue stands out. In the show, a colleague tells Tripathi's character that he's often sent to negotiate with the public because of his 'common-man appeal', that he has the kind of face and demeanor that can disarm hostility and win 48-year-old actor with his everyman-ness is his most endearing trait as he brings his desi charm to the small screen. For Tripathi, being on screen has never been just about performance, it's about immersion. Starting from his humble beginning in Bihar and then moving to Mumbai with big dreams, the actor who started off with smaller roles to now the life of every project he picks has gradually carved out our space through hard work and perseverance. advertisement Isn't it a strange phenomenon? View this post on Instagram A post shared by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury (@aniruddhatony)While he might be able to tickle your funny bone with his impeccable comic timing in 'Stree', Pankaj Tripathi effortlessly brings back his grounded, everyman charm in 'OMG 2'. And just when you settle into his softer side, the actor stuns again, whether as the ruthless butcher in 'Gangs of Wasseypur' or the volatile yet oddly endearing Kaleen Bhaiya in 'Mirzapur'. Each role showcases his incredible range, all while staying true to his authentic 'Stree', Pankaj Tripathi redefined the image of a librarian we've carried since our school days. Someone with glasses and a deep knowledge of history and folklore. But what set him apart was the way he infused that persona with his signature humour and impeccable comic timing, creating a character that left a lasting impression. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Maddock Films (@maddockfilms)It is this ordinariness that sets him apart from his peers. Where others might rely on physical transformation or high-pitched dramatics, Tripathi relies on silence and lets his innocence do the talking on the big screen. His eyes carry stories, his voice commands empathy, not a recent interview, the veteran actor admitted he never intended to become a 'star.' He just wanted to act. That humility bleeds into every times, his middle-class persona might seem a tad overdone, but with a solid theatre background and a deep understanding of character nuances, Pankaj Tripathi brings a rare authenticity to the screen. You might feel his Bihari accent taking over his characters, but that's just his way of adding a uniqueness to his roles that makes him stand out from the you remember his role as Pandit in 'Fukrey' and Bhanu Pratak Pandey in 'Mimi'? Both the roles proved his versatility and the fact that he is that actor who can slip into unexpected humour even in the bleakest moments, not to lighten the mood, but because that's exactly how real people cope with life's everyday his illustrious filmography, we can clearly state that the actor knows the tactics, and his biggest selling point remains his common man appeal, which will instantly make you feel connected with him. Hence, Pankaj Tripathi continues to be our delightfully quirky, undeniably magnetic common man Watch
News18
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Stolen Review: Abhishek Banerjee-Shubham Vardhan's Gripping Thriller Is A Punch To The Gut
Last Updated: Stolen movie review: Karan Tejpal's Stolen feels like a gut punch. A 90-odd minute thriller that grips you from the first frame and doesn't let go. Karan Tejpal's Stolen feels like a gut punch. A 90-odd minute thriller that grips you from the first frame and doesn't let go, it's one of those rare stories that feels both cinematically stylised and terrifyingly real. Beneath the pulse-pounding chases and moments of moral tension lies something darker and more inescapable: the feeling that this could happen to anyone, anywhere in India, and there would be no way out. The plot is deceptively simple. Two brothers—Gautam (Abhishek Banerjee) and Raman (Shubham Vardhan)—are headed to their mother's wedding. But a chance encounter at a railway station with a poor labourer named Jhumpa (Mia Maelzer), whose baby has just been kidnapped, derails their lives. What starts as a misunderstanding spirals into a nightmarish descent through suspicion, bureaucratic apathy and mob hysteria. The railway station setting is not incidental. It is a liminal space—where classes, castes and lives collide. Tejpal uses it to stunning effect, invoking the chaos of India's margins where nothing is safe, not even reality. Here, a missing child isn't just a tragedy; it's a catalyst for exposing every rotten seam of our collective social fabric — police inefficiency, misinformation, class prejudice and the rage of a public always on the verge of exploding. And explode it does. The mob attack scene is an absolute masterclass. Shot from inside a car, it's claustrophobic, tense and feels sickeningly familiar. We've all seen these videos—on WhatsApp, on TV or online. But Stolen doesn't let you swipe away. It makes you sit inside that car, frozen, watching panic set in. The chase scenes that follow are breathless. Not just for their scale — vehicles tearing across dusty roads and mobs wielding sticks and guns — but for how closely they hug reality. There's no superheroism here. Just survival. Barely. The choreography is brilliant not because it's flashy, but because it's raw. It's immersive cinema at its most unforgiving. Driving all of this forward are the lead performances. Shubham Vardhan's Raman, in a heart-stopping moment, fights to stay conscious after being shot. But it's Abhishek Banerjee who delivers the film's most searing moments. In a lynching scene that is almost unbearable to watch, the Stree actor channels helplessness, fear and the dawning realisation of privilege lost. Mia Maelzer, as Jhumpa, is equally good. Her character is never a prop for sympathy — she is the very engine of the narrative, forcing the brothers (and us) to confront everything we don't want to admit about our society. Yes, the ending softens a few blows. Maybe it needed to. Because the rest of Stolen is so stark, so hopeless in parts, that even a flicker of redemption feels like a small mercy. But the film never becomes dishonest. Even its hope is measured. Stolen is about many things — class, bias and the dark society — but above all, it's about the violence that lies just beneath the surface of our everyday lives. It's not a film you simply watch. You survive it. And perhaps, that's the point. Because in India, when the two nations within us collide, survival isn't guaranteed. First Published:
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Maalik teaser: Rajkummar Rao is no longer the sweet Bittu, but a gangster with a penchant for killing to rise in life
The sweet boy-next-door we saw in films like Bareilly Ki Barfi, Ludo, Stree, and more has now turned into a bloodthirsty gangster, who has no qualms about shedding blood to rise in life. That's the best way to describe Rajkummar Rao's character in his upcoming film Maalik. The makers unveiled the film's teaser on Tuesday, which shows Rajkummar playing the role of a full-fledged gangster for the first time. The teaser takes us to 1988's Allahabad city and begins with Rajkummar Rao describing how there are two types of people — one who give their blood and sweat to build a life, and the others who shed blood and sweat to snatch the opportunity from others. Rajkummar proudly declares himself to be the latter. The gory visuals show Rajkummar waking up with a gun and walking amid a crowd with the gun on his shoulder. He is then seen ruthlessly killing a man as the crowd watches, and tying his body to a pole before lighting firecrackers tied around it. Rajkummar then delivers the line, 'So what if I wasn't born a Maalik, I can surely become one.' The following visuals show Rajkummar walking with his gang, firing at a house and at the police. Maalik is directed by Pulkit. It is bankrolled by Kumar Taurani and Jay Shewakramani, and also stars Prosenjit Chatterjee, Manushi Chhillar, and Medha Shankr in pivotal roles. The film's music is composed by Sachin Sanghvi and Jigar Saraiya, with lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya. It is set to release on July 11. Rajkummar Rao has seen moderate success at the box office over the past few years, except for Stree 2, which was a major success, minting Rs 857 crore worldwide. His other film Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video minted Rs 58 crore at the box office against the reported budget of Rs 30 crore. The actor's last release was Bhool Chuk Maaf, which has been performing well at the box office, collecting Rs 60 crore within 12 days of release. However, the film will face competition from upcoming releases like the multi-starrer Housefull 5 and Kamal Haasan's Thug Life, which are set to release on June 6 and June 5, respectively.
