A review on Pakistani Drama feature length film, Cake (2018). The Production Houses are Indus Takies and ZAB Films while its Distributors are B4U Motion Pictures and Excellency Films.
+ Crew
- Written & Directed by Asim Abbasi
- Cinematography by Mo Azmi
- Edited by Aarti Bajaj
- Music by The Sketches and Saif Samejo (Composed)
- Produced by Syed Zulfikar Bukhari
+ Note
Cake is a film about the passage of time seen through the eyes of one family and offers a heartfelt look at the realities of life, of past and present, of choices and consequences. The majority of the filming has been in Karachi, interior Sindh and some parts of London.
The Production Design is done by Zain Khan while it’s Costume Design by Samiya Ansari. It is a debut film for Adnan Malik.
It is the first ever Pakistani film which had its premiere at Leicester Square London with national and international media covering the Event. The cast of the film toured Bradford where they visited Radio Sangam, Odeon Cinema Leeds, Trafford Center, star city and various other places for film promotion.
Similar to Azad (2018), this film too most probably face the same fate in the domestic box office as did Pakistani feature length films such as Shah (2015) and Josh (2013). During the end of emotional scenes, parallel to what happened to Pakistani film, Verna (2017), here too most of the audience were laughing instead feel the moment of sadness. Our Stone Age mass audience still doesn’t understand when to laugh or cry while watching a film.
+ Main Cast
- Aamina Sheikh as Zareen
- Sanam Saeed as Zehra
- Adnan Malik as Romeo
- Beo Raana Zafar as Ammi
- Mohammad Ahmed as Abu
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+ Supporting Cast
- Faris Khalid as Zain
- Meekal Zulfiqar as Shehryar
- Hira Hussain as Zain’s Wife
- N/A as Zain’s Son
+ Plot
When the ageing father is taken ill, his eldest daughter, Zareen, is forced to reconnect with her sister, Zara, on her return from London. Burdened with guilt and resentments, the sisters must confront old secrets and realize that sometimes the only way for a family to move on, is by finding a way back.
+ High Points
i – A very interesting screenplay, loved every humor and punchlines of the film.
ii – Aamina Sheikh’s performance as Zareen is electrifying, absolute terrific! She is such a good actress who blended into her character as though she is Zareen for real.
iii – Along with Aamina, Sanam Saeed as Zehra performed as persuasively as possible. Her scenes sharing with Aamina made them look inseparable on-screen… left our hearts to desire for more. Other Honorable Mentions: Beo Raana Zafar.
iv – Splendid work on its Production design, each and every scene was pleasantry to watch.
v – The cinematography is beautifully shot, loved how its lighting was handled.
vi – Good performances by the entire cast.
v – Hard to believe that this is directorial debut for Asim Abbasi. The simplicity of the scenes made us feel closer to the reality and have the feel like home.
+ Low Points
i – We never get to see of Zehra’s husband or her problematic relationship with him.
ii – The story might be too simple for those viewers who are fond of mirch masala type of films and therefore find difficult time to enjoy.
iii – Songs are just nonsense, forgettable. Many won’t even remember listening to any of them.
iv – Meekal Zulfiqar’s role is equivalent to a cameo appearance. Audience wanted to see more of him; at least that’s how people perceive him to be in the film by looking at the poster.
v – The dark secret in the family didn’t turned out to be that dark after all.
vi – Hardly any Sindhi accent in a Sindhi family.
+ Overall
Cake is a lovely adult comedy with excellent screenplay, good direction and a touch of tragedy.
Rate: 3.50 out of 5 stars
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