Subhadra Mahajan’s Film ‘Second Chance’ to Hit Indian Theatres on June 13

By Shant Swarup Tripathi

Subhadra Mahajan’s debut feature film, Second Chance, which has already received immense appreciation from global audiences, had its world premiere at the 58th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. It will now have its Asian premiere at the 28th Busan International Film Festival on June 13 and will simultaneously be released in Indian cinemas on the same day.

Starring Dheera Johnson, Thakri Devi, and Kanav Thakur, Second Chance is produced by Shyam Bora, with executive producers Pan Nalin and Swapnil S. Sonawane. The co-producers are Naren Chandavarkar, Siddharth Meer, and Bhaskar Hazarika. Platoon One Films has acquired distribution rights and will release the film in major Indian cities, including Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, and Kochi on June 13. In the following weeks, the release will expand to additional locations.

Story

The film follows the journey of Nia (played by Dheera Johnson), a young woman who, after experiencing the first major trauma of her youth, returns to her family’s summer home in the Himalayas. There, the passage of time, the embrace of nature, and the emergence of an unexpected friendship begin to heal her. The story opens with 25-year-old Nia standing on a mountaintop on a winter morning, burdened by the pain of an illegal abortion, hoping to escape the trauma. Alone and melancholic, she retreats from the city to her family’s remote Himalayan home, finding solace in the serene mountain landscapes and long solitary walks.

The caretaker of the house leaves for some work, entrusting his 70-year-old mother-in-law, Bhemi (played by Thakri Devi), and his 7-year-old son Sunny (Kanav Thakur) with the house. A seasoned mountain woman, Bhemi’s days are filled with labor, but her humor masks her wisdom, while Sunny’s endless mischief takes Nia back to a childhood she had long forgotten. As a harsh and unexpected winter sets in, these three souls find themselves drawn together, transcending the boundaries of age and class.

As Nia begins to smile again, demons from her past continue to haunt her, pulling her back into the trauma she is desperately trying to escape. She must confront a final test of love, pain, and forgiveness in her struggle to heal and give her life a ‘second chance.’

After its world premiere in the Proxima competition at Karlovy Vary, Second Chance has been showcased at over 25 festivals in recent months, including the prestigious Busan International Film Festival, AFI Fest, São Paulo, and the International Film Festival of Kerala. The film has received widespread acclaim from critics and audiences alike for its raw portrayal of feminine pain, its unexpectedly gentle humor, and its stunning black-and-white cinematography, which seamlessly weaves themes of light and darkness.

Excited about her debut film’s release in Indian theatres, Subhadra Mahajan, co-writer of Angry Indian Goddesses, says, “Like most first features, Second Chance comes from a very personal place and purpose. Yet, at every step—from its early development to its world premiere at Karlovy Vary—it has been embraced by people who made it their own. Platoon One Films has joined us as our Indian distributor with that same spirit, and their belief in the story has been most heartening. I cannot wait to share this story of hope and healing from my Himalayan homeland with Indian audiences in theatres.”

Shiladitya Bora, founder of Platoon One Films, says, “It is rare that a film leaves you utterly disarmed—one that you deeply admire and instantly feel compelled to bring to audiences. Second Chance by Subhadra Mahajan is exactly that. Intimate yet expansive, this is a film made for the theatrical experience. As a theatre-first company, we are launching with a long-tail, staggered release strategy starting in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, and Kochi, and expanding in the following weeks. We used a similar model for Anamika Haksar’s Sundance winner Ghode Ko Jalebi Khilane Le Ja Riya Hoon, which had a successful 56-day theatrical run in India.”

Second Chance is a production of Latent Pictures and Metanormal Motion Pictures, with Bridge Postworks and Moonweave Films as co-producers.

Discussing her film, director Subhadra Mahajan says, “As a young woman raised between urban cities and the rural Himalayas in contemporary India, Second Chance is inspired by personal experiences and encounters. Set in the Pir Panjal range of Himachal Pradesh during the deep winter, the film is shot in black and white with high contrast between light and shadow. The soundscape is authentic to the environment, yet resonates with the inner psychology of its key characters. All actors are local, and all locations are real.

Second Chance explores the theme of healing—a beautiful and obscure process. Though it’s an intimate and inward journey, I believe it’s a story the world today needs to hear. In an ‘instant’ world with tunnel vision, a young person might feel crushed under the weight of personal tragedy, unable to recover. In a self-obsessed world, we’ve forgotten that Mother Earth’s eternal cycles are beyond human control. In a world constantly reminding us of all that divides us, we sometimes forget the things that unite us.

This is a story of hope in times of fractured societies, and of impossible friendships in times of loneliness and isolation. A story of light at the end of a long, dark tunnel.

As a writer-director, my intent is to bring audiences a story rooted in a part of the world they may never have seen before—but with an emotional core they can connect to, and return to their own lives with renewed belief in their own ‘second chances.’”

About Platoon One Films

Founded by Berlinale Talents alumnus Shiladitya Bora, Platoon One Films is India’s leading independent film studio. With over 15 years of experience in film production and distribution, Bora has led theatrical campaigns for over 140 films. Platoon One’s notable productions include Yours Truly (Busan 2018), Picasso (National Award Winner 2021), Ghaath (Berlinale 2023), and Bhagwan Bharose (UKAFF). The studio is known for distributing acclaimed films like 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 more.

Their upcoming film Bayan, developed at the Global Media Makers–Film Independent L.A. residency, features top Indian talent Huma Qureshi and is a Hubert Bals Fund winner, currently in post-production.

Shiladitya Bora adds, “At Platoon One Films, we believe in backing directorial vision and empowering filmmakers to create cinema that is meaningful and successful for all. We are committed to ‘new stories, new voices.’”

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