Chotay Shah
‘Chotay Shah’ is Sabiha Sumar’s short film for the ‘Zeal For Unity‘ project. ‘Zeal for Unity’ is Zee Entertainment’s unique peace initiative aimed at bringing together nations in conflict through their creative thought leaders. Twelve filmmakers from India and Pakistan have been brought together to showcase their films on a single platform.
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Mohammad Asghar and his mother Bibi live in their last ancestral property in Karachi. After the death of his father and relocation of his brother, Asghar has been saddled with the responsibility of his aging mother, who refuses to let go of the past.
Asghar’s wife Nazia has left home, ostensibly to read for a PhD in London, but in truth, to escape from the claustrophobic relationship between Asghar and Bibi.
In his stream of consciousness, Asghar emails Nazia about his dilemma and tells her how much he wants to bring his teenage son to London so they can be a family again. But he is bound by duty to his mother and in terrible debt as he tries to maintain their last kothi while his financial resources dwindle.
The film has an ensemble cast with each character bound to the kothi in one way or another. They are ruled by the tensions within the kothi – dominated by Bibi’s so-called dementia.
When Asghar discovers he is ill and needs surgery, it drives him to desperation and spurs him to make rash decisions with a surprising outcome