Chalay Thay Sath

This was an excellent masterpiece. True to the Pakistan methods of filmmaking this is not your masala film. It reminds one of the award winning independent parallel cinema films which speak more emotions and less words. Absolutely captivating and beautiful. Watch it when you are relaxing with coffee on a lazy day to relax and rethink about life.. very very well made. It's superb to see Pakistani cinema having its own unique style different from mainstream commercial garbage.

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.

Chalay Thay Saath is simple.. Simple enough that due to its simplicity, its charm traps you and doesn't leave you until the you leave the cinema with a smile on your face. The main strength of the film lies in its storyline which is by far one of the best love abd family story in a while.. As the rest of contemporary Pakistani films, the makers does not treat the story on a superfacial level, rather it is explored with enough depth and sensibility. Simply brilliant.

Casting is spot on.. All the actors making their debuts shine bright and the Canadian actor the brightest..

The director and the cinematographer both do a masterful job and leave you enthralled..

Watch the film for its simple amd Pakistani storyline, brilliant performances and Pakistani humour which actually makes you laugh.. The films finds it tone in simple scenarios and turns thems into larger than life experiences.. Oh did I mention the soundtrack is amazing too.. Watch it you won't regret...

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.

Chalay thay saath is a beautiful film and contain every ingredient of a good romantic film. It has comedy, romance, tragedy and good locations. The music is not so good but the light music suits the film. Overall, it is an amazing effort and every movie lover should watch this movie. The film picturized the beautiful northern areas very well and it makes the overall feel of the film more effective.