Written by: Momina Mindeel
Posted on: April 02, 2018 | 
| 中文
(L-R) Sanam Saeed as Zara, Mohammed Ahmed as Abba, Aamina Sheikh as Zareen, Adnan Malik as Romeo and Beo Rana as Amma
Before Khuda Kay Liye was released in 2007, the future of the Pakistani film industry seemed rather bleak. However, in recent years, with films like Bol, Actor in Law, Janaan and Punjab Nahi Jaungi, it seems like there might actually be light at the end of the tunnel. When Cake’s trailer was released last year in July, the entire film industry praised it. As an optimistic person, I hoped for the best too, and prayed it wouldn’t be a bad deal in pretty packaging. Last Friday, I entered the cinema with high expectations, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that not only did Cake meet them, it surpassed them.
The film revolves around a dysfunctional family of five; Zareen (Aamina Sheikh), the middle child who has compromised on her dreams to take care of her parents, their farmlands and pretty much everything else around the house, Zara (Sanam Saeed), the youngest child who has been living in UK for many years and the eldest, Zain (Faris Khalid), who lives in New York with his wife, a kid and their parents (Mohammad Ahmed and Beo Rana Zafar). The family reunites after the parents’ health starts deteriorating. Following their reunion, situations arise where the family is compelled to confront each other and deal with their grievances, regrets, grudges, secrets, happiness and everything else in between. The film has just the right amount of wit and humor, balanced by the right amount of tragedy.
While you are watching it, you feel as if somebody has captured a family’s life, unbeknownst to them. Everything about it, from the brief moments between the siblings, to the romance between Beo Rana and Mohammad Ahmed, is very realistic. It seems like the debutante director, Asim Abbasi, has an eye for minute details, and this makes Cake all the more wonderful to watch. The most remarkable thing about the movie is the portrayal of the relationships between the three siblings. With nothing glamorous or exaggerated about the relationships of the siblings, the film captures them joking around and talking to each other.
From Beo Rana to Zareen’s love interest and her father’s caregiver, Romeo (Adnan Malik), everyone puts up stellar performances. We are all aware of Aamina Sheikh and Sanam Saeed’s acting prowess, but Asim Abbasi brings out the very best in them.
As for the music, tracks like Tiri Pawanda, Meri Dunya and several renditions of folk Sindhi music, give the film a local cultural atmosphere. There are absolutely no item numbers, no uncalled for glamour and not a single scene that could be categorized as extra. Perhaps the most delightful aspect of Cake was that its characters aren’t defined by their love interests or relationships. Their insecurities, grievances and thought patterns are what make them who they are, and Asim Abbasi seems to have been successful in portraying this for us.
I would give Cake 4.8 out of 5 stars. Please do yourself a favor and go watch the film, and don’t forget to take family along; they might end up learning a thing or two about familial bonds. What differentiates Cake from the spate of recent Pakistani films is its realism, and it leaves the viewer with a lasting impact.
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