Once Again is a spectacularly well-photographed feature which celebrates love and relationships quietly and with impressive delicacy. The film follows the growing relationship between a widowed woman and mother of two running a small-scale food business and an ageing and lonely film star. Their acquaintance results from him becoming a regular customer who orders her meals. They become increasingly fond of each other, they have many heart-to-heart conversations, but their sweet romance is kept a secret, as she comes from a milieu where such a relationship could only damage her reputation and children.
Let's just start by pronouncing the main attraction of the film and it's the cinematography. The film is amazingly well shot - the camera captures the tiniest of details the script asks for. The way the city lights are shot during night drives, the closeups capturing the protagonists' emotional state, the views of the city landscapes during the day, and obviously the art of cooking and the portions filmed in the kitchen, are all an absolute delight. Director Kanwal Sethi makes a film that is meticulously detailed in its expression that you could easily enjoy it as much without the dialogue. Moreover, the background score is very soothing.
Does the story live up to the technical mastery? It does. The film does get a little self-indulgent for its own good, but it's quick to pick up from some of its pitfalls. The romantic tension between the two leads is effectively constructed, and its realisation is nothing short of staggering. Story-wise, it is a little amusing that such morals still exist even in the more urban areas, that, as one of the elder characters says, the happiness of the children trumps that of the parents. This narrow-mindedness feels so old-fashioned and dated you wish there was another conflict. I also wish the bitterness of the male lead, which is a little overdone, was toned down a little.
Shefali Shah is stunning. First, in terms of her appearance, she has never looked so attractive, but not in the cheap sexy sense - her real, earthy Indian beauty blossoms as she dons traditional attire equally as much when she walks on the street or engrossed in kitchen work. This is obviously just the exterior, as Shah is obviously one of the prime examples of an actor so natural, nuanced and unself-conscious that her scenes often look like a piece of footage captured from a hidden camera. She's amazingly minimalistic and phenomenally expressive at the same time, and her eyes convey so much of the supposedly missing dialogue.
Neeraj Kabi is excellent in a role which does get a tad stereotypical but never takes away from his understated performance. I do understand film stars deal with difficulties pertaining to their fame, including lack of privacy, loneliness, and the challenge of maintaining one's artistic ground. That said, the role would have benefitted from some positive strike as he looks consistently bitter and frustrated. The rest of the cast do really well in their bit parts, and the film concludes on a nicely positive note. Once Again is a very nice watch - it is well-photographed and narrated and particularly strong in the acting by Kabi and particularly Shah.
