An intelligent and talented cast, as opposed to actors chosen on the basis of their popularity or social media following, doesn’t only understand the craft but also plays a significant role in how the project is promoted.
Aamina Sheikh, Sanam Saeed, Adnan Malik and director Asim Abbasi talk about what makes a film successful in Pakistan and what they have tried to achieve in Cake.
An intelligent and talented cast, as opposed to actors chosen on the basis of their popularity or social media following, doesn’t only understand the craft but also plays a significant role in how the project is promoted. Case in point: the cast of upcoming film Cake, which includes Aamina Sheikh, Sanam Saeed and Adnan Malik, who we met in Karachi as part of a press junket for the film along with the film’s director, Asim Abbasi. Cake is scheduled to release on March 30.
“We have been trying to make it different from how usually things are done, in a very cookie cutter way,” Aamina Sheikh said as we began talking about promotions.
A lot of recent Pakistani films have been promoted in a manner that somewhat misled viewers and ended up disappointing them. When promotions are aggressive and the content of a film does not deliver on promises then you’re left with a very disgruntled audience. The team behind Cake has been following a unique path for marketing the film but they insist that it is aligned with the film’s overall feel. There has been an activity running on social media as part of Cake promotions that asks people to share some of their fondest childhood memories and a few celebs have also taken part in it.
Reflecting on the idea, Sanam Saeed shared, “We are trying to sell the film from a family angle; we want to highlight the joys and values of family that people are sharing with us. We don’t want to pitch the film as featuring two couples or a love triangle because that’s not what it is about.”
This may not guarantee success of a film but what is more important is to be honest with your viewers who pay a high ticket price to watch it.
“We are trying to figure out what is it that will really get viewers to come to cinemas but the one thing that I would cringe at is begging people to watch our film,” Adnan Malik added. “You just need to tell them what the world of your film is and that it is genuinely a good experience. I always say that a good film is when something from the film stays with you, and I know Cake has a lot of that. There are a lot of films we watch that leave you empty. So, one thing that we are trying to tell people is that Cake is not going to leave you empty.”
When asked what they feel ensures the success of a Pakistani film, Adnan continued, “I think story and script is the most important thing. Television is one of our strongest mediums because our stories have always been very good. We have come to this point now where technically we can make something look good but it lacks depth. People are no longer going to be fooled and it has got to be something that audiences can connect to. The beauty of any film is in how well it transitions from one thing to another. Those are the films that we really like.”
Responding to the same question, Sanam Saeed said, adapting a line from Dirty Picture, “Content, content and content as opposed to entertainment, entertainment and entertainment” while Aamina Sheikh added, “It also depends on the choice of people you get on board, on and off camera, who are fit for their part. An actor who cannot connect to his character cannot connect to viewers so the right choice of people is also very important.”
“I think it is a creative business,” director of the film, Asim Abbasi asserted. “A lot of people do this with the idea of it just being business and it can’t work like that. If you are sitting down with a very set formula (2 item songs, popular faces, etc.), that can only take you to a certain level but if we are taking a long term view of developing an industry, that can’t survive on its own. It comes back to storytelling but it is the honesty with which you do it; not just a good story but told in a very honest, truthful way and purely focused on the creative side, not on the financial aspect.”
How did he feel about the need to dumb down content to appeal to the masses?
“We did want to resonate with the audiences but dumbing it down was never an option,” Asim replied. “The option was to take a long term approach and decide where we want this industry to be in ten years’ time. It is one of those industries that is small, that is just starting off and right now is the time when we can possibly change the direction that it’s going in. That’s one way. But we are saying that there is another option too; to make good films and still relate to audiences and give them something and perhaps, make some money out of it as well. Cake has been made on a budget that we think should be a standard budget for majority of Pakistani films; it’s not a tiny film but it doesn’t have a very high Teefa budget either. So the idea was: at least try and make a really good product and then see how it goes.”
Speaking about what Cake aims to address and achieve, Aamina Sheikh said as the interview came to a close, “Our strength is our dramas so the idea is to bring that on the big screen cinematically and this is what Cake does. It has all the themes that our masses resonate and respond to; it has been executed in a way that is cinematic and takes it to a global level. If that works, and in a budget that we as an industry should be working within, then it will open up doors for others who are willing to push the envelope.”
