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.
