Chalay Thay Sath

Finally Pakistani cinema is at a place, where it is taking liberties to the type of films it is attempting and this falls right in the category of such an experiment. Might have alienated local audiences with the Chinese parts and very modern approach but on the other hand it was somehow the demand of this sort of film. The premise of a cross border story has been a tried and tested concept in a lot of Bollywood films but this cross border romance explores the Chinese-pakistani relationship. The dialogue and situations are kept simple and the storyline follows a straight forward line but is a bit stretched to be a full feature film. This might have been alright on paper but doesn't translate well onto film, as the last portion of the film seems rather labored and boring just to get to the eventuell climax of the film. Still the interesting cast and overall beautiful locations provide a great experience and is a good watch.

Absolutely classic. Beyond expectations. Please watch this.

Recently I had the opportunity to watch the much-anticipated Pakistani production 'Chalay Thay Saath' in Karachi.

I'm not going to go into plot details as it is quite evident from the trailer but its a very simple romance between two people who meet in the unlikeliest of places under not- so-simple circumstances, in company of some close friends who are struggling against challenges of their own.

The movie is a rare little gem in the mundane formulaic productions that one comes across so frequently these days. Primarily a romance, the movie's exploration of loss is what sets it apart; loss of a parent, loss of a friend, loss of the childhood home and all memories associated with it, loss of love and possibly something even more precious & tragic....all this set in the breathtaking locales of Hunza and Chitral in the north of Pakistan.

The highlight of CTS is definitely the cinematography, and boy is this movie gorgeous! Hats off to the DOP for doing an excellent job in capturing not just the best of Pakistan but also the beauty of the simple folk who inhabit that region. I was watching the movie and found myself subconsciously planning a trip to these gorgeous valleys at the earliest possible opportunity....that, and the inexplicable desire to have lots and lots of Pepsi! 😉

The film score is another achievement that deserves to be celebrated, truly phenomenal! Abbas Ali Khan creates magic with his take on regional instruments and traditional music with the tracks being relevantly buoyant, moving and tragic at the right places.....the soothing music during the street procession scene just made my day (attached below). I could listen to it all day (and have) and never get tired of it!

With a relatively fresh cast the director has managed to get some excellent performances from the young protagonists without them being overshadowed by legendary thespians such as Behroze Sabzwari and Shamim Halai. Syra Shehroze in the lead role of Resham was a surprise and I mean that in the best way! The supporting cast were all very believable in their roles with some performing slightly better than others. The chemistry between Resham and Chinese-origin Adam was believable and entertaining.......something I feel we are going to see a lot more often as a side-effect of the CPEC development throughout Pakistan.

I have read mixed reviews about CTS but personally I really, really liked this film. Is it perfect? No, but nothing really ever is. Agreeing with Hussain Tariq I feel the relationship development between Resham and Adam could have been explored in more detail....they fell in love too soon! I would have liked to see more of their struggles towards overcoming the cultural gap before even considering spending their lives together.

What really matters at the end is that I walked out of the movie feeling elated and still thinking about the beautiful score & lovely vistas of Northern Pakistan...... wanting more of both! If anything else, I am really looking forward to seeing what this combination of talent will create next. The visual eye candy that is CTS just makes me want to see more from Umer/Beenish, the DOP and Abbas Ali Khan as a team.

Watch this film! There has never been a more kid-friendly Pakistani movie and this one makes for a great weekend activity for the entire family.

Masterpiece of natural beauty and simple life events.

Pakistani films have come a long way from 'Khuda Ke Liya' released in 2007. This film is an example of the technical, artistic and overall progress made by the Pakistani film industry in the last decade. Surely, there is still some way to go before the average Pakistani films can compete with Holloywood (or even Bollywood).

Chalay Thay Sath is filmed amidst the magnificient scenery of Gilgit-Baltistan. Indeed, the scenery is woven into the plot as the film revolves around a tour group visiting the area's sights. (Note to filmmakers: can we see some creativity in choice of filming locations and move away from the scenery of GB, etc. to other locales within the country?)

The tour comprises of several Pakistanis and one Chinese tourist in Pakistan to visit the grave of his father who died during the building of the Karakoram Highway. During these few days the Chinese man falls in love with a local GB girl.

Although the story develops around the relationship of these two there are side distractions through the pther members of the group, including a mother having problems with her son and a married couple on the verge of divorce.

The plot is weak. The acting? Well, it's getting there but not quite there. The cinematography is good.

The movie is watchable though not worth more than six stars. Pakistanis will enjoy the film but so will non-Pakistanis wishing to get a gimpse into parts of Pakistan's geography.

Note: The fim is available on Netflix in many locations at the time of writing (July 2018).