Tell us about yourself. You are a part of the corporate world and you have a strong creative aesthetic. How does this balance work?
I have been part of the advertising industry as a creative/concept writer for a long time. Advertising can be creatively restrictive at times. In the midst of client-led work, the opportunity to write a film was refreshing and challenging at the same time. Balancing it was hard. I used to write in flights or late at night. Every time I sat down to write I used to keep the goal that I would write until the battery of the laptop goes down to 17%. It was specific enough to keep me trying even at times when I was writing gibberish and would delete the lot the next day. The corporate world, including clients, team members and my bosses have all been extremely encouraging and accommodating.
Chalay Thay Saath comes across as a thematic work. It has elements of friendship, love, family and self-discovery. All of it comes together through a trip. What inspired you to concoct such a diverse storyline?
Umer and Beenish came to me with a one-page story that Umer had written ten years ago when he was doing some work in Hunza. Both were very clear that we want to have commercial success but not at the expense of compelling story-telling. I had never been to Hunza before and we decided immediately to go on a story search. In the five days we lived through so many awe inspiring nuggets ranging from magical stories of the land to myths and traditions which were all very fascinating. The story had to weave these fascinating lesser known stories with universal stories of love, loss, family and friendship.
In a world where countries are largely closing off their borders and aim to restrict the free movement of culture and people, Pakistan and China share a rock-solid relationship. Did you deliberately try to make your story politically inclusive by having a Chinese protagonist or did the plot just evolve organically?
It happened organically. We didn’t discuss the political significance of our story until we were at the second draft. We wanted the character to be Chinese as there is a natural connection between the nations of this region. We wanted to explore people-to-people links in this region and showcase this to the world.
What do you think has changed in terms of trends in Pakistani cinema? Do you think Pakistani audiences would have been just as receptive of your story 10 years ago?
A good story will transcend any language or era. Aesop’s Fables are as relevant in today’s world as they were before paper was invented. Pakistani cinema is at a very exciting point right now as we are just getting re started. Movies like Actor in Law and Jawani Phir Nahi Aani have explored universal themes like the Hero’s Journey but they have successfully balanced the cultural nuances and colloquial references. Cinema and stories are still about escaping from your own life into someone else’s and Pakistani cinema - when done right - is no different.
Do you think Pakistani writers underestimate our audiences by intentionally writing simplistic plots with a few songs here and there, and dumb the audiences down instead of upholding the tradition of rich and earthy stories that has come from remarkable writers of our soil?
The same has been said about Hollywood - that the old is rehashed and bad stories are being masked with astounding visual effects. Global box office revenues discourage newness and risk-taking. Like we use item numbers, Hollywood uses visual effects. But Pakistani cinema has a better chance at it then Hollywood does as their stakes are way too high. I am hopeful that with writers like Amjad Aslam Amjad penning down screenplays, we will witness rich and earthy stories on the big screen too.
It is often believed that content is king and that script is the most important asset in a film. Do you think writers get their due respect and share in a film?
Yes and no, and that is true for many industries. I didn’t know who Aaron Sorkin was until I took a course by him on screen writing, but we are all familiar with his work like A Few Good Men, West Wing and The Newsroom. As a writer you are the only one who faces a blank page as the director, actors and everyone in production will have a set of directions to follow and add their flavour to it. On the other hand, the writer’s job is the easiest as compared to what the rest of the team goes through. The writer comes in and writes down a recipe, the director/producer has to now create it by understanding, deconstructing and then sourcing the ingredients and then serving it to be tasted. Do writers get their due share? Seeing the words penned by us being uttered on the big screen and seeing people react to the plots that you came up with late at night, it is the biggest prize any writer can get. Someone not only bought your story, they lived it, and gave it their heart and soul. I had happy tears so many times, which I had to hide during the shoot. But then I am a novice.
What are the perks and merits of being a writer? How involved do you think writers should be in the process of making a movie?
A writer has a best job description in the world. Make things up as you go along and that leads to a lot of joy and frustration. Writers should be involved till the end but not stifle other people’s creativity. A script is like giving birth but you don’t get to raise the child yourself and the writer has to be present to make sure that the plan is followed through. For this the writer, director and producer must be on the same wavelength and not be insecure in their own roles. We are very lucky to have that comfort of being honest with each other on the team of Chalay Thay Saath.
Let’s talk about your characters. There are six people in the ensemble cast and it appears that each comes of age through this journey. Are they inspired from people around you?
A writer should write about what they know and some of these characters I do know personally. The baba in the film has no name. He will be only known as Baba and his character is based on a bit on my own father and a dear uncle. Faraz’s character is loosely based on a friend who used to drive me nuts, Umer, Beenish, Faris and I shaped this one together. Resham is a woman I would hope to become one day and Aleena is an inspiration in strength and clarity. Tania is based on a friend and Zain is somehow my favourite character. He is like me at times, scared as hell but putting on a brave face. Adam is an anomaly. He is genuine and malleable.
You have been lucky with casting because it seems that every actor is doing justice to their character but Saira and Kent just look poetic together. Did you have these actors in mind when you were jotting down these characters?
With Resham’s character we were hopeful from the beginning to get Saira and the same is the case with Behroz Sahib to play Baba. It was a very big win for us when both agreed to the film. Faris we wanted from the start to play Faraz. However, all the casting credit goes to Umer and Beenish. They have been very meticulous and professional about each and every role.
Writers sometimes bring their own experiences into films. Is any sequence in this film a translation of your personal journey?
A story once saved my own life’s path. I was studying Graphic Design in London and just found out that my husband and I would become parents for the first time. It was a very tough time as I had to study and take care of a child alone. My mind was clouded with confusion and I was inches away from giving up having a degree or having a child. As I was walking down a road having conflicting thoughts, I saw a statue which reminded me of a story my mother told us as kids. The story was a tale of three brothers who had to go on a quest to save their father’s life. Each was told not to look back or they would turn into stone. Only one of them listened and he kept moving forward no matter what voices or doubts plagued him. It occurred to me that I should also be like the third brother and not look back - or I would turn into stone. You will have to watch Chalay Thay Saath, released on the 21st of April 2017 nationwide, to see if this story or its essence has made it into the film or not. Happy viewing!
I have been part of the advertising industry as a creative/concept writer for a long time. Advertising can be creatively restrictive at times. In the midst of client-led work, the opportunity to write a film was refreshing and challenging at the same time. Balancing it was hard. I used to write in flights or late at night. Every time I sat down to write I used to keep the goal that I would write until the battery of the laptop goes down to 17%. It was specific enough to keep me trying even at times when I was writing gibberish and would delete the lot the next day. The corporate world, including clients, team members and my bosses have all been extremely encouraging and accommodating.
Chalay Thay Saath comes across as a thematic work. It has elements of friendship, love, family and self-discovery. All of it comes together through a trip. What inspired you to concoct such a diverse storyline?
Umer and Beenish came to me with a one-page story that Umer had written ten years ago when he was doing some work in Hunza. Both were very clear that we want to have commercial success but not at the expense of compelling story-telling. I had never been to Hunza before and we decided immediately to go on a story search. In the five days we lived through so many awe inspiring nuggets ranging from magical stories of the land to myths and traditions which were all very fascinating. The story had to weave these fascinating lesser known stories with universal stories of love, loss, family and friendship.
Cinema and stories are still about escaping from your own life into someone else's and Pakistani cinema - when done right - is no different
In a world where countries are largely closing off their borders and aim to restrict the free movement of culture and people, Pakistan and China share a rock-solid relationship. Did you deliberately try to make your story politically inclusive by having a Chinese protagonist or did the plot just evolve organically?
It happened organically. We didn’t discuss the political significance of our story until we were at the second draft. We wanted the character to be Chinese as there is a natural connection between the nations of this region. We wanted to explore people-to-people links in this region and showcase this to the world.
What do you think has changed in terms of trends in Pakistani cinema? Do you think Pakistani audiences would have been just as receptive of your story 10 years ago?
A good story will transcend any language or era. Aesop’s Fables are as relevant in today’s world as they were before paper was invented. Pakistani cinema is at a very exciting point right now as we are just getting re started. Movies like Actor in Law and Jawani Phir Nahi Aani have explored universal themes like the Hero’s Journey but they have successfully balanced the cultural nuances and colloquial references. Cinema and stories are still about escaping from your own life into someone else’s and Pakistani cinema - when done right - is no different.
Do you think Pakistani writers underestimate our audiences by intentionally writing simplistic plots with a few songs here and there, and dumb the audiences down instead of upholding the tradition of rich and earthy stories that has come from remarkable writers of our soil?
The same has been said about Hollywood - that the old is rehashed and bad stories are being masked with astounding visual effects. Global box office revenues discourage newness and risk-taking. Like we use item numbers, Hollywood uses visual effects. But Pakistani cinema has a better chance at it then Hollywood does as their stakes are way too high. I am hopeful that with writers like Amjad Aslam Amjad penning down screenplays, we will witness rich and earthy stories on the big screen too.
It is often believed that content is king and that script is the most important asset in a film. Do you think writers get their due respect and share in a film?
Yes and no, and that is true for many industries. I didn’t know who Aaron Sorkin was until I took a course by him on screen writing, but we are all familiar with his work like A Few Good Men, West Wing and The Newsroom. As a writer you are the only one who faces a blank page as the director, actors and everyone in production will have a set of directions to follow and add their flavour to it. On the other hand, the writer’s job is the easiest as compared to what the rest of the team goes through. The writer comes in and writes down a recipe, the director/producer has to now create it by understanding, deconstructing and then sourcing the ingredients and then serving it to be tasted. Do writers get their due share? Seeing the words penned by us being uttered on the big screen and seeing people react to the plots that you came up with late at night, it is the biggest prize any writer can get. Someone not only bought your story, they lived it, and gave it their heart and soul. I had happy tears so many times, which I had to hide during the shoot. But then I am a novice.
What are the perks and merits of being a writer? How involved do you think writers should be in the process of making a movie?
A writer has a best job description in the world. Make things up as you go along and that leads to a lot of joy and frustration. Writers should be involved till the end but not stifle other people’s creativity. A script is like giving birth but you don’t get to raise the child yourself and the writer has to be present to make sure that the plan is followed through. For this the writer, director and producer must be on the same wavelength and not be insecure in their own roles. We are very lucky to have that comfort of being honest with each other on the team of Chalay Thay Saath.
Let’s talk about your characters. There are six people in the ensemble cast and it appears that each comes of age through this journey. Are they inspired from people around you?
A writer should write about what they know and some of these characters I do know personally. The baba in the film has no name. He will be only known as Baba and his character is based on a bit on my own father and a dear uncle. Faraz’s character is loosely based on a friend who used to drive me nuts, Umer, Beenish, Faris and I shaped this one together. Resham is a woman I would hope to become one day and Aleena is an inspiration in strength and clarity. Tania is based on a friend and Zain is somehow my favourite character. He is like me at times, scared as hell but putting on a brave face. Adam is an anomaly. He is genuine and malleable.
You have been lucky with casting because it seems that every actor is doing justice to their character but Saira and Kent just look poetic together. Did you have these actors in mind when you were jotting down these characters?
With Resham’s character we were hopeful from the beginning to get Saira and the same is the case with Behroz Sahib to play Baba. It was a very big win for us when both agreed to the film. Faris we wanted from the start to play Faraz. However, all the casting credit goes to Umer and Beenish. They have been very meticulous and professional about each and every role.
Writers sometimes bring their own experiences into films. Is any sequence in this film a translation of your personal journey?
A story once saved my own life’s path. I was studying Graphic Design in London and just found out that my husband and I would become parents for the first time. It was a very tough time as I had to study and take care of a child alone. My mind was clouded with confusion and I was inches away from giving up having a degree or having a child. As I was walking down a road having conflicting thoughts, I saw a statue which reminded me of a story my mother told us as kids. The story was a tale of three brothers who had to go on a quest to save their father’s life. Each was told not to look back or they would turn into stone. Only one of them listened and he kept moving forward no matter what voices or doubts plagued him. It occurred to me that I should also be like the third brother and not look back - or I would turn into stone. You will have to watch Chalay Thay Saath, released on the 21st of April 2017 nationwide, to see if this story or its essence has made it into the film or not. Happy viewing!