Daily Times

A year after its release, Umer Adil’s romantic, breezy and beautiful, ‘Chalay Thay Saath’, continues to make waves and be one of Pakistan’s most popular feature films of recent time. The film played to full houses at the Hong Kong Arts Centre in the city’s tony Wan Chai district in March, earlier this year and will be representing Pakistan at the SCO Film Festival which will be held in Qingdao, Chao, from June 13th to 17th of this year. The film debuted on Netflix in May and has since been one of the most popular Pakistani films on the service. In an exclusive interview for the Daily Times, members of the principal cast of the film talk to Ally Adnan about the experience of working in the enduring movie and their memories of Chalay Thay Saath.

What memories do you have of Chalay Thay Saath?

Kent S Leung: I have tons of very wonderful memories of Chalay Thay Saath. The film was screened in Hong Kong recently, with a lot of fanfare and promotion. The events made me very nostalgic. I have a great fondness for the music of the film as a lot of my memories of the film are tied to its music. Whenever I think of the film – and I think about it a lot – the delightful sights, sounds and smells come back to me very quickly. Exploring the scenic region of Hunza was a veritable pleasure. Watching the film is like seeing the highlights of the wonderful time that the cast and crew spent together in the region. The best memory is probably that of the food we had while shooting for the film. I miss the chicken tikkas immensely!

Zhalay Sarhadi says the diversity of genre, subject, theme, and story has gone up and filmmakers are acting in a more confident and adventurous manner. “They seem to have become comfortable with out-of-the-box thinking and taking risks”

Mansha Pasha: I miss the people, sights and food of the region and have awesome memories of working hard and long to make Chalay Thay Saath a very special movie.

Zhalay Sarhadi: There are a lot of great memories of Chalay Thay Saath but the best one is that of singing songs with local kids, by a bonfire, on the last day in Hunza.

Syra Shahroz: I have very fond memories of Chalay Thay Saath. It was my debut film and, as such, will always hold a very special place in my heart. I had been offered a number of films at the time but found the story of Chalay Thay Saath to be the most refreshing and original. I am glad that I selected the film to make my cinematic debut. The film was shot in the mountainous valleys of northern Pakistan over a period of seven weeks. The cast and crew got very close to each other during the time and developed an excellent chemistry with each other. I still miss the camaraderie that all of us enjoyed with each other while working in Chalay Thay Saath.

Osama Tahir: The memories are too many to count. The entire experience was outstanding!

How has Pakistani cinema evolved since ‘Chalay Thay Saath’?

Mansha Pasha: I believe that Pakistani cinema has seen more ingenuity, creativity and originality since Chalay Thay Saath was released. The films being made nowadays are technologically superior to earlier films. The style of telling stories in film has evolved and become more cerebral and interesting. In my opinion, Pakistani cinema is doing very well today.

Zhalay Sarhadi: The diversity of genre, subject, theme, and story has gone up and filmmakers are acting in a more confident and adventurous manner. They seem to have become comfortable with out-of-the-box thinking and taking risks.

Syra Shahroz: A lot more films are being made nowadays. Filmmakers have become more comfortable taking risks and exploring genres that have, heretofore, not been seen in Pakistani cinema. Thankfully, the once-ubiquitous item number has gone down in popularity. We are seeing greater originality and daring in film scripts. Some very good and immensely original films like Cake have been made in the last year. And even though films like Punjab Nahi Jaungi and Chupan Chupai have done well at the box office, the number of flops has been higher than that of hits. That, to be honest, is very disconcerting.

Osama Tahir: I think Pakistani cinema is coming into its own and starting to produce high quality films. The recent feature film Cake was excellent. The films produced in the last year have been vastly better than those produced in the past. The progress may be slow but it is sure and certain. Pakistani cinema is headed in the right direction.

How did Chalay Thay Saath affect your career?

Kent S Leung: Chalay Thay Saath affected my career in a number of positive ways. It put me in the spotlight for mainstream media. It helped strengthen my reputation as an actor, one who selects roles on the basis of merit and not because of race, religion, gender, geography, or national origin. The film helped grow my fan base far and wide. I gained the most amazing fans as a result of Chalay Thay Saath. I now work harder to make sure that I do not let them down and live up to their expectations.

Chalay Thay Saath did not just affect me professionally but also changed me as a person. The experience of working in the film inspired me and gave me the courage to believe that, no matter what naysayers and haters say, one can always break new ground and do more than has been done in the past. The realization that I was the first Chinese actor to ever work in a Pakistani film hit me hard. It made me realize that one must always try to do things that have not been done by others and represent opportunities for growth, success and fame.

Mansha Pasha: Chalay Thay Saath was my first film and helped me learn the craft of acting in films which is hugely different from working on television serials.

Zhalay Sarhadi: I believe the affect that Chalay Thay Saath had on my career is yet to be determined but will say that working in the film was a genuinely spiritual and enlightening experience for me. It helped me grow as a person. I am grateful to have worked in the film.

Syra Shahroz: Chalay Thay Saath helped me gain popularity and confidence. The film was the most highly anticipated film of its time. A lot of people saw Chalay Thay Saath and told me that they loved it. My performance in the film received a lot of commendation and helped my stature as an actor.

Osama Tahir: A commercially successful, mainstream film always helps debutante actors. Chalay Thay Saath had a tremendously positive affect on my career in show business.

What is the most enduring quality of ‘Chalay Thay Saath’?

Kent S Leung: I think it is the beauty of the film. The towering mountains, the lush forest, and the scenic lakes of Northern Pakistan are breathtaking. The beauty of the valley of Hunza is ethereal. Chalay Thay Saath captured the soul and spirit of the region, and not just the landscape, perfectly. It will always be remembered for doing so.

Mansha Pasha: I believe that it is brilliant cinematography. Every frame of the movie is beautiful and seems like a work of art.

Zhalay Sarhadi: It is the subtle depth of the relationships between the characters of the film. Each one of the relationships is nuanced, natural and very real. You do not see such well-delineated relationships in cinema very often.

Syra Shahroz: Chalay Thay Saath has many qualities. It is decidedly original. It features a beautiful cast of actors. And, it tells a timeless story.

Osama Tahir: I believe that it is the love, energy, passion, and energy that the cast and crew of the film put into the film. It comes across in each and every frame of the film and makes it uniquely endearing.

Published in Daily Times, June 11^th 2018.