Cake (2018 film)
Cake is a 2018 Pakistani comedy drama film which is directed by Asim Abbasi.[3] The film is produced by Syed Zulfikar Bukhari and is a joint production by Asim Abbasi's United Kingdom based production company Indus Talkies,[4] and a Pakistani film production company ZAB Films. The film stars Sanam Saeed and Aamina Sheikh as lead characters alongside Adnan Malik who has made his film debut.[5]
Cake | |
---|---|
film poster | |
Directed by | Asim Abbasi |
Produced by | Sayed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari |
Written by | Asim Abbasi |
Starring | Sanam Saeed Aamina Sheikh Adnan Malik Beo Zafar Syed Muhammad Ahmad |
Music by | The Sketches |
Cinematography | Mo Azmi |
Edited by | Aarti Bajaj |
Production company | Indus Takies ZAB Films |
Distributed by | B4U Motion Pictures Excellency Films |
Release date |
|
Country | Pakistan United Kingdom |
Language | Urdu Sindhi |
Budget | ₨5 crore (US$300,000)[1] |
Box office | ₨12 crore (US$720,000) (Worldwide)[2] |
A five-part prolog webisodes short-series has also been released on YouTube, focusing on the lives of Zara and Adnan in London.[6][7] It was selected as the Pakistani entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.[8]
Plot
"Cake" a story about love, loss and passage of time. The story is something we all can relate to in some way. We have seen globalization, children moving away and the rivalry between siblings. It's a story about love, loss and life and death - all the things that we are familiar with. It's about two sisters, one of whom lives abroad and the other is left behind here. It showcases their conflicts in dealing with their relationships.
Cast
- Aamina Sheikh as Zareen
- Sanam Saeed as Zara
- Adnan Malik as Romeo
- Faris Khalid as Zain
- Hira Hussain as Sana
- Syed Mohammad Ahmed as Zareen's father
- Beo Zafar as Zareen's mother
- Mohammad Ahmed
- Mikaal Zulfiqar (Special appearance)
- Gianbruno Spena as Adnan (Webisodes)
Production
Filming
The majority of the filming has been in Karachi and interior Sindh, as well as London.
In a first for Pakistani cinema, the climax scene of the film is a 10 minutes continuous, one take shot with no edits, spanning multiple rooms and multiple characters.[9] In an interview, actress Aamina Sheikh who played Zareen, share that experience ''That one-take scene was not only about the actors moving – it’s about the lights, camera crew, location, frames and all the invisible figures. One-takes are not used in films often, worldwide, so this was quite an experience for us.''[9]
Release
Promotions
The Film 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 Centre, star city and various other places for film promotion.[10]
Critical reception
Cake was released all over Pakistan on 30 March 2018 with highly positive reviews from critics.
Areebah Shahid writing for Bolo Jawan praised the film's direction and the performances of the female protagonists, stating, "Cake stands tall among the films that Pakistan can rightly take pride in and showcase for a wider, international audience."[13]
Mike Cahill of The Guardian gave it 4/5 stars. He praised Asim's debut "Pakistani cinema has long struggled to match its Indian cousin’s commercial reach, but this impressive debut from Asim Abbasi feels like a sound bet, and even quietly revolutionary in places."[14]
Shahjehan Saleem of Something Haute gave it 4.5/5 stars "Cake shines as a prime example of acting, cinematography, great music, and impeccable direction assimilating into perfection on the silver screen."[15]
Turyal Azam Khan for The Diplomat wrote "The strong response to the film in its home country has sent an important message to the filmmakers of Pakistan: it is okay to experiment, break barriers and test the audience. The formula is risky and might not always work, but art has no boundaries and that is what Cake displays." [16]
Rahul Aijaz of The Express Tribune gave it 4.5/5 stars. "One slice just won't be enough"[17]
Awards and nominations
The film was showcased at London Asian Film Festival or nowadays UK Asian Film Festival where it won Best Director for Asim Abbasi.
Award | Category | Recipients and Nominees | Results |
---|---|---|---|
London Asian Film Festival | Best Director | Asim Abbasi | Won |
8th annual South Asian Film Festival of Montreal | Best Feature - Fiction | Sayed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari | |
18th Lux Style Awards[18] | Best Film | Sayed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari | Won |
Best Director | Asim Abbasi | Nominated | |
Best Actor | Adnan Malik | ||
Best Actress | Aamina Sheikh | ||
Best Playback Singer | The Sketches and Natasha Baig for "Meri Dunya" | ||
5th Galaxy Lollywood Awards [19] |
Best Film | Sayed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari | Pending |
Best Director | Asim Abbasi | ||
Best Story | |||
Best Actor in a Leading Role Female | Aamina Sheikh | ||
Best Actor in a Supporting Role Male | Adnan Malik | ||
Syed Mohammad Ahmed | |||
Best Actor in a Supporting Role Female | Beo Rana Zafar | ||
Sanam Saeed | |||
Best Male Debut | Adnan Malik | ||
Best Playbak Singer Male | The Scteches - "Meri Dunya" | ||
Best Lyricist | |||
Best Music | The Scetches | ||
Soundtrack
All music is composed by The Sketches.
No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Meri Duniya" | The Sketches | The Sketches | 4:32 |
2. | "Sajan Mo Khay" | Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai | Bhagat Bhoora Lal, Rajab Fakeer, Zanwar Hussain | 5:26 |
3. | "Bol" (Male version) | The Sketches | 4:47 | |
4. | "Sartyoon" | Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai | Bhagat Bhoora Lal, Shamu Bai | 4:19 |
5. | "Bol" (Female version) | Natasha Humera Ejaz | 4:47 | |
6. | "Tiri Pawanda" (Cover) | Shaikh Ayaz | The Sketches | 5:13 |
Total length: | 29:04 |
The film also featured "Piya Tu Ab To Aaja".
See also
- List of Pakistani films of 2018
- List of submissions to the 91st Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Pakistani submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
References
- Mohammad Kamran Jawaid (30 December 2018). "TRADE: SO, HOW DID THE BOX OFFICE DO?". Dawn. Retrieved 30 December 2018.
- "CAKE The Film total earnings". 20 April 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018 – via Facebook.
- "'Cake' becomes first Pakistani film to have a world premiere in London's Leicester Square - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 15 March 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
- "Indus Talkies Limited - Overview (free company information from Companies House)". beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
- Staff, Images (9 February 2017). "Adnan Malik will make his film debut with Sanam Saeed and Aaminah Sheikh in 'Cake'". Images. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
- "Cake the film set to have a short prequel on Zara's life in London". Daily Pakistan Global. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
- "'Cake' to release yet another slice of the film with a prologue!". Something Haute. 18 April 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
- "'Cake' submitted as Pakistan's official entry to Oscars 2019". The Express Tribune. 18 September 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
- "A 'Cake' with a different flavour - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
- "Account Suspended". www.theffjournal.com.
- "Cake". New On Netflix –USA–. May 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
- "Cake". Netflix. May 2019. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
- Shahid, Areebah (31 March 2018). "Review: Cake Is A Slice Of Life Film That Should Not Be Missed!". Bolo Jawan. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
- McCahill, Mike (29 March 2018). "Cake review – Karachi sister act ditches melodrama for real life". the Guardian. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- "Haute Review: Cake – a bittersweet taste of reality". Something Haute. 30 March 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- Diplomat, Turyal Azam Khan, The. "Pakistan's Cinematic Revolution in the Making". The Diplomat.
- "'Cake' review: One slice just won't be enough". The Express Tribune. 30 March 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
- "A list of everyone who went home a winner from the Lux Style Awards 2019". Dawn Images. 7 July 2019. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
- "Luxus Grand 5th Galaxy Lollywood Awards 2019 (Nominations)". GalaxyLollywood.com. 15 April 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2019.