First Second Chance poster: Renuka Shahane, Ananth Mahadevan star in short inspired by real life

The poster of Lakshmi R Iyer’s First Second Chance hints at a couple’s reunion when they are older. The short film’s tagline reads: Sometimes relationships end so that LOVE can BEGIN.

Lakshmi, the CEO and founder of Streetsmart Productions, is the producer and director of the project. Renuka Shahane and Ananth Mahadevan play the couple as they are in present times while another pair of artistes play their younger versions. The poster, highlighted with a red rose, shows the past and present of their relationship.

The feature film also stars Devoleena Bhattacharjee, Saahil Uppal and Nikhil Sangha.

In a statement, Lakshmi said, “It was an incredible journey of shooting the film, with Renuka, Ananth, Devoleena and more. They are all talented individuals with a love for filmmaking who gave their all in First Second Chance. I am honoured to have them cast in my film.”

She added, “The story amplifies the unbridled energy of love, past and emotions, all packed in a sweet little orb of time. The script is beautiful in itself, and I am sure the audience will find it just as beautiful and tug at the strings of their hearts.”

Shahane spoke about coming on board the project because she loved the script. She said, “I appreciate Lakshmi's energy, enthusiasm, love for the craft and filmmaking. I have always been on the lookout to work with women writers, directors, editors and cinematographers. It's a different kind of camaraderie that we share on the set. It's a comfortable atmosphere to work with Lakshmi.”

The actress continued, “She is incredibly talented, knows what she wants and has a clear mind about what kind of emotions she needs. She is never in a rush. In the emotional scenes, she’d give a lot of space to the actor to do it their way and take their time with their emotions, never taking anything in the film casually. I love the way my character is portrayed in the film. Everything was worked out at a micro level.”

Actor and filmmaker Ananth Mahadevan said, “A heartfelt tale of two people reclaiming their past in the evening of their lives will evoke varying emotions of abandonment, resilience and revival. The film set in an old people’s home caresses the inevitable emotional evening of one’s life but underlines the fact that every dusk needn’t lead to darkness. Lakshmi’s diligence and passion have been the driving force behind this take-home journey of two hearts. First Second Chance is the chance you just gotta take!”

First Second Chance’s story has been inspired by real life. The film has been shot by M Ravichandran, while the sound design has been done by Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty. Anand Bhaskar has scored the music, aided by vocals of Hamsika Iyer, who has sung songs like ‘Raabta’ and ‘Chammak Challo’.