Karan Tejpal

Biography:

Karan Tejpal is a director and screenwriter with two decades of experience in the Indian film industry. His work is driven by a desire to explore the complexities and contradictions of our world, where brutality often intersects with moments of deep humanity.

In his debut film, “Stolen” (2023), Tejpal explores the resilience of the human spirit amidst societal fractures. His work captures the intricacies of changing times, while aiming to instill hope and understanding. Tejpal is passionate about telling stories that highlight societal harshness, revealing the vulnerabilities of the powerless and the breakdown of trust in protective social systems.

Tejpal began his career in large-scale Bollywood productions, eventually transitioning through various projects in advertising and television, before finding his niche in independent cinema. His film journey began as an assistant director on “Lage Raho Munna Bhai” (2006). Over the next decade, he worked on numerous feature films and TV commercials with directors like Raju Hirani, Rakeysh Mehra, Mrighdeep Lamba, Rajesh Mapuskar, Ayappa, and Abhinay Deo. His screenwriting talent has been recognized by the Sundance Screenwriters Lab (2016) and the NFDC Screenwriters Lab (2014). Tejpal studied filmmaking at the New York Film Academy.

Born in New Delhi, Tejpal grew up moving around India due to his army family background. He attended Mayo College, an all-boys boarding school in Ajmer, which was a formative experience. During college, he was less focused on academics and spent his time playing horse polo professionally in India, New Zealand, and South Africa.