They said no superstars, the same domestic issues, no macho ‘hero’ etc etc! They said, at the most, it would attract the gentry! That’s all! The masses will stay away from the film!

All points taken. That’s what happened! And yet, Asim Abbasi’s film, Cake proved to be quite a good sell at the box office. I mean, that’s the verdict from the classes. After you see how Sarmad Sehbai’s Mah-e-Meer was supposed to earn much more than an arty movie should do in Pakistan, and Mehreen’s Dobara Phir Se proved a damp squib, and Azad, too, just managed to make one crore rupees on one show per day, Cake has done a superlative job with 11 crores all over!

To tell you the truth, I am elated. I haven’t felt so good for our current cinema until Cake’s success. In my opinion, the film, despite its scriptural short comings, has been handled like a professional making. The reason is characterisation! I have been writing all along that our bland storylines have lacked characters. In Cake, all the roles stand out. Aminah is a fine actress, without doubt, and she has played her role beautifully. I am in love with the new Sanam Saeed for her inner calm. But, the surprise packet is Adnan Malik! He looks way above the level he showed us in Sadqey Tumharey, and Dil Banjara. His performance is just so natural. Kudos to all of them.

Of course, Asim Abbasi has managed a nicely written script very well. The drama in the film kept up like a taut tarpaulin by the dint of the fact that nothing is predictable. That’s the great part!