Film Aficionados and Celebrities Grab the Final Bite of CakeThe Film

KARACHI:After months of thrilling promotions and activities that flooded social media, the most anticipated releases of 2018, Cake The Film, finally premiered in Karachi on 29^th March. Nueplex Cinemas laid out the red carpet to welcome the leading stars, Adnan Malik, Sanam Saeed, Aamina Sheikh,Faris Malik, Hira Hussain, Beo Zafar, Muhammad Ahmed, director AsimAbbasi, and producer Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari. It is the first Pakistani Film to have been premiered in the United Kingdom before being launched nationwide and internationally.

The premiere event was a star-studded affair as prominent faces from the film and television fraternity came together in support, amongst many others were Faisal Qureshi, SyraShahroz, ShehryarMunawar, BehrozSabzawari, Ayesha Omar, Asif Raza Mir, Moomal Sheikh, Deepak Perwani,Sanam Jung,TapuJaveri, Hira Tareen, Ali Safina, Anoushey Ashraf, Nadia Hussain to name a few.

The perfectionist of a director, AsimAbbasiwhen asked about the movie, quoted, “I strongly believe that for Pakistani Cinema to truly flourish over the long term we need to focus on strengthening our content and diversifying our narratives. Cake is a personal and intimate family drama, but the emotional truths at its core are universal in their appeal. My intention with this film was to create a cathartic experience for the audiences – to give them a story that would stay with them beyond two hour runtime of the film.”

The lead cast was effervescent in their excitement for the public release, as apparent through their words. “I think memorable films have strong scripts as their foundation, and when I first read the Cake script, I couldn’t put it down,” said Adnan Malik. “It was written with such detail, authenticity and care that I was instantly moved. Everyone who worked on this film eventually became aligned to Asim’s vision. Cake is a beautifully crafted family drama that’s unafraid to explore the often taboo subject of family secrets. Cake is unlike any other film I’ve seen come out of Pakistan because it’s authentic, thoroughly relatable and emotionally charged. Pakistan needs to find an indigenous voice for its cinema, and I believe that Cake is a step in that direction.”

Sanam Saeed gave a little more insight into the film and what she wants the viewers to feel after they watch it as she stated, “Cake is a story of love, loss and the passage of time. The tears and laughter in the film are from the heart. I hope to see Cake move people the same way it did when I first read the script. The art direction, the cinematography, the sound design, the script, direction and performances are raw, real and relatable. Cake highlights various family dynamics and gives you an intimate view into the Jamalifamily life, much like holding up a mirror for the audience to see their own mad family’s reflection. Can’t live with them, can’t live without them. But it’s all we’ve got! Have your cake and watch it too.”

Last but certainly not the least, Aamina Sheikh who held the family together in the movie said, “Cake The Film is made with a lot of love, sincerity and attention to every detail of the craft of the medium. It is an authentic experience not just a product. It explores the rural landscape of Sindh through its breathtakingly cinematic visuals and soulful sounds fusing the folk and contemporary. The humour, the tears, the ridiculousness of situations, the helplessness of a man, the aging of parents and all its idiosyncrasies make this film relatable to an audience across the globe. It is truly an international effort of a modest and humble Pakistani film.”

With a gripping story, stellar art direction and cinematography, Cake is a thoroughly enjoyable and emotionally charged family film about love, loss, relationships, choices and responsibilities. The story unravels when the ageing patriarch of the Jamali family is taken ill, his eldest daughter and sole caregiver, Zareen is forced to reconnect with her sister, Zara on her return from London. Burdened with guilt and resentment, the sisters confront the wounds of their past and realize that sometimes, the only way a family can move on, is by finding a way back.

If you can’t wait to grab your piece of the Cake, head to your nearest cinema 30^thMarch onwards for a scrumptious cinematic experience.