Having already garnered significant appreciation from audiences worldwide, Subhadra Mahajan’s debut feature Second Chance which had its World Premiere at the 58th Karlovy Vary International Film and Asia premiere at 28th Busan International Film Festival is set to grace the silver screen on June 13th.

Produced by Shyam Bora, Executive Produced by Pan Nalin, Swapnil S. Sonawane and Co-Produced by Naren Chandavarkar, Sidharth Meer and Bhaskar Hazarika and distributed by Platoon One Films, Second Chance will release in the key cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, and Kochi on June 13th, expanding to more centres in the subsequent weeks.
The film starring Dheera Johnson (as Nia), Thakri Devi (as Bhemi) & Kanav Thakur (as Sunny) follows the story of Nia who after experiencing the first major trauma of her young life, Nia retreats to her family summer home in the Himalayas where time, nature and unlikely friendships help her heal.
After its world premiere in the Proxima competition at Karlovy Vary, the film has travelled to more than 25 festivals in the past few months, the most notable of those being Busan International Film Festival, AFI Fest, Sao Paulo & International Film Festival of Kerala.

The film has been appreciated by critics and audiences alike for its authentic portrait of feminine pain, gentle touch of humor where least expected, and the visually stunning black and white cinematography which ties into its themes of light and darkness seamlessly.
Thrilled about the theatrical release of her debut film in India, Subhadra Mahajan, the co-writer of Angry Indian Goddesses says, “Second Chance, like most first features, comes from a very deeply personal space & purpose. Yet, at every step, from the early stages of its making to its World Premiere at Karlovy Vary, it’s been embraced by people who’ve made it their own. Platoon One Films came on board as our Indian distributors with that same spirit, and their belief in the story has been most heartening. I can’t wait to share this story of hope and healing from my Himalayan homeland to Indian theatres”.

Founder of Platoon One Films, Shiladitya Bora says, “It is very rare that you come across a film that completely disarms you, one that you admire deeply and immediately feel the need to lap it up and take it to the audience. Second Chance by Subhadra Mahajan was exactly that. Intimate yet expansive, it is a film made for the theatrical experience. As a theatre-first company, we’ll be carrying a long-tail, staggered release strategy, starting with key cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, and Kochi, and expanding in subsequent weeks. We used a similar model for Anamika Haksar’s Sundance winner Ghode Ko Jalebi Khilane Le Ja Riya Hoon, which had a successful theatrical run for 56 days in the Indian theatres”.

Second Chance is a production of Latent Pictures & Metanormal Motions Pictures, with Bridge PostWorks & Moonweave Films as co-producers.

Synopsis

Nia, 25, stands on a mountaintop on a winter morning, wishing away the worst trauma of her young life- an illicit abortion. Visiting her family’s summer retreat in the Himalayas from the city, alone, she’s depressed, desolate and detached. Long walks in the panorama and isolation of the high mountains seem to be her only respite.

The caretaker of the house departs on an errand, leaving his mother-in-law, Bhemi, 70, in charge along with his son, Sunny, 7. Interaction is unavoidable…

A weathered mountain woman, Bhemi’s days are filled with labour, but her sense of humour doesn’t disguise the years of wisdom she offers, while Sunny’s endless mischief forces Nia back into a childhood that she had long forgotten. As a stark, stunning winter sets in, these 3 souls find themselves bound together beyond age and class divides.

Even as Nia starts to smile again, the demons of her past keep catching up with her, throwing her back into the trauma she is trying so hard to escape.

Nia faces the ultimate test of love, pain and forgiveness as she struggles to heal and give her life a ‘Second Chance’.

Director’s Statement

As a young woman who grew up in contemporary India between the urban cities and the rustic Himalayas; ‘Second Chance’ is inspired by personal experiences and encounters. Set in the Pir Panjal range of the state of Himachal Pradesh in Northern India and in deep winter, the film is shot in Black & White, with a high contrast between light and shadow. The soundscape is authentic to its environment, yet it echoes the psychology of its lead characters. All actors are local and all locations are real.‘Second Chance’ explores the theme of healing, a wondrous and unexplainable process. Be that as it may be a very intimate and internal journey, yet it is a story I feel needs to be told to the world that we live in today. An ‘instant’ world of tunnel vision, where a young person can feel the weight of a personal tragedy as something that they may never recover from. A self obsessed world which has forgotten that the eternal cycle of Mother Earth functions far beyond human control. A world where we are so constantly reminded of all things that divide us, that we have somewhere forgotten the things that unite us. It is a story of hope in times of fractured societies, and of unlikely friendships in times of loneliness and isolation. It is a story about light at the end of a long, dark tunnel. My intention as the writer-director is to have the audiences witness a tale set in a part of the world they have never seen before, but with an emotional crux that they can relate to, and leave renewed with the faith at their own personal ‘Second Chances’ in life.

Platoon One Films

Platoon One Films is India’s leading independent film studio, founded by Berlinale Talents alumni Shiladitya Bora with over 15 years of experience in film production and distribution, having spearheaded theatrical release campaigns for 140+ films.

Platoon One’s notable productions include Yours Truly (Busan 2018), Picasso (winner of the Indian National Award 2021), Ghaath (Berlinale 2023), and Bhagwan Bharose (UKAFF). The studio is known for distributing Sir (Cannes Critics Week Winner), Ghode Ko Jalebi Khilane Le Ja Riya Hoon (Sundance), An Insignificant Man (TIFF), Barah By Barah (Shanghai), Pushtaini (MAMI) and many others. Platoon One’s upcoming film Bayaan, developed at LA Residency of Global Media Makers – Film Independent, also a winner of the Hubert Bals Fund with India’s top talent Huma Qureshi as the lead cast, is currently in post-production. We at Platoon One Films believe in backing directors’ vision and empowering them to create a film that will be a breakout success for all. We are committed to ‘Newer Stories, Newer Voices.’