Long path of healing

Director Subhadra Mahajan talks about her debut feature, Second Chance, Devis and Devtas of Himachal Pradesh, and women's experiences with abortions

- ASHWIN S

HEY say, "The night is darkest before dawn..." and it has always been a phrase used to instill hope in our minds. For debutant director Subhadra Mahajan, her first film, Second Chance, was a journey through a similar dark night, which, fortunately, found its dawn recently with a limited theatrical release. "As independent filmmakers, we struggle at every level—while we are scripting, putting our team together with hardly any resources, shooting against all the odds, finding more avenues for funding during post-production, and getting through the festival run with lots of luck. However, I was told that this kind of film would never see a theatrical release in India, as the country is not particularly known for respecting artistic or indie films. But seeing the film on the big screen left me with a feeling of disbelief, as it was a dream come true," says Subhadra.

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