Subhadra Mahajan’s film ‘Second Chance’ is a very realistic portrayal of a young and independent-thinking woman’s battle against her ownself and how she resists making same mistakes again so that she breaks free from the traps to seek a second chance at life!
Brilliantly shot in Black and White by cinematographer Swapnil Sonawane, the magic of the Himalayas and the rustic locales of Himachal Pradesh provides soothing and poignant settings in equal measures even in monochrome.
The casting of non-actors by Subhadra has brought in a fresh thinking and dimension to this film as the characters look very real as they play a natural part in the protagonist’s bid to come to terms with a personal setback. They provide the healing touch with their local accent and mannerisms, blending perfectly with the beautiful use of background ambience of forest and highlands. Subhadra, who hails from Himachal, has delivered a masterpiece with her signature homegrown touch!
With the pace of the film matching the lead character’s sense of time ensured through intense and happy moments, the film makes a real impact with its plot as well as sensitive direction as dance sequences are used immaculately to advance the story. Music by Quan Bay is another high point of the film as it lends gravity to the narrative.
Director and writer Subhadra, production designer Namra Parikh, and DoP Swapnil were present for the screening by Entertainment Society of Goa’s Cinephile Film Club hosted by Sachin Chatte; and later took part in an interaction with the audience, which loved the film and hoped that the Government of Himachal Pradesh would come forward to support the film as it displays the real beauty of the state and reflects the story of climate change pounding the scenic region without any exaggeration.
Second Chance (104 minutes, Hindi, English, and Kullavi) had premiered at the prestigious Karlovy Vary festival, and has travelled around the world to several festivals, including Busan, Hamburg, Sao Paulo, Adelaide, Belfast, among others.
The story revolves around Nia (Dheera Johnson), who, after experiencing her first major trauma in life, retreats to her family’s summer home in the Himalayas, where time, nature, and unlikely friendships help her heal.
