Grab first chance for Second Chance
We all deserve a second chance. Does life offer it easily enough though? In the lands where nature blooms, time stands still, simplicity reigns and humanity is not a casualty, nothing is impossible. Thus, when a young girl, Nia (Dheera Johnson), returns to her hill home in the Himalayas, coping with personal trauma, heartbreak and more, her journey also transforms into one of self-awareness and self-realisation.
‘Second Chance’ is as much about personal healing as offering comfort to those who have been instrumental in making Nia feel whole again.
Far away from the hustle and bustle of city life, as she spends idyllic time in a small village in the mountains, the baggage that urbanisation and modern lifestyle choices often impose is shed. First through her interactions with a young boy, Sunny (Kanav Thakur), son of the caretaker of her home, and more strongly with his grandmother (Thakuri Devi). Slowly, Nia not only finds closure but also ways to refresh, rejuvenate and connect with those far removed from her urban reality.
Subhadra Mahajan’s debut directorial is suffused with a rare tenderness and poignancy. Set in Himachal Pradesh, her home state, she not only understands its people, but also its culture and, above all, the ambience and atmospherics. Shot by her other half, Swapnil S Sonawane, noted cinematographer of ‘Sacred Games’ and ‘Monica Oh My Darling’ fame, nothing is touristy here. It’s not a gaze from the outside but from within. The camera not only makes love to the beauty of the hill region, but also brings forth the many shades of its storyline, subtly and delicately.
To shoot an entire film in black and white is brave, some would say an audacious choice, yet the duo comes out trumps. The husband-wife team tells the story aesthetically and artistically, one with visual language and another with economy of words.
Each scene is like a painting and any doubt that black and white are not complete colours in themselves is dispelled. Textures lend an unmistakable allure to each frame; detailing is vivid and breathtaking and brings out the emotion-scape of each character; there aren’t too many though.
Soundscape by Quan Bay complements the beauteous landscape, that is at once majestic and authentic.
Things anyway move at a languid pace. Like the locales and their people who go with the flow, rather than force its pace, there is no frenzy in Subhadra’s storytelling. She is in no rush to let the drama unfold. With an experience of writing movies like ‘Angry Indian Goddesses’ and working with director Pan Nalin, in her first directorial foray, Subhadra shows no self-consciousness, nor a desire to impress.
Actors facing the camera for the first time are exceptionally natural, too. Not surprisingly, they don’t ‘act’; rather, they emote and reflect in the most organic way.
Thakuri Devi as Bhemi, the village woman, is especially truly unpretentious. Heartwarming and empathetic, there is no false bone or misstep in her portrayal. What is most impressive in her characterisation is how unlike the city-bred, she is not a wee bit judgmental about Nia’s predicament; rather, she helps her sail through difficult times. The child actor Kanav Thakur’s winsome presence, his dreams and aspirations, is yet another winner.
The lead heroine Dheera Johnson’s graph oscillates from pain to solace, and her earnestness reflects in every move.
With minimal dialogues, the language of minimalism and brevity speaks here. Nothing is superfluous or excessive. Neither words, nor emotions.
While most movies play up the class divide, Subhadra bridges the chasm between the privileged and not so advantaged without saying it in so many words. Human beings are human. Irrespective of the class they belong to, there can be immense warmth and affection in how they deal with each other. The beauty of Subhadra’s writing is how she finds human connections in the unlikeliest of places.
Like the pristine surroundings of Himachal, emotions are pure. There is no affectation. After its world premiere at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and Asia premiere at the Busan International Film Festival, as this meditative and thoughtful reflection of life’s healing power makes its tryst with Indian screens with a limited theatrical release, it sure deserves a chance.
Movie Review