Pakistani families are messy, unbalanced waves of persistent emotional odysseys. It’s their sunny imperfections that ultimately string together a perfect little household full of flaws, and it’s precisely what ‘Cake’ is showcasing. The film embraces every Achilles heel, crafting out defects and embracing them to say ‘look, that’s what’s makes us so utopian, and so human.’ Director Asim Abbasi’s trailer gives us a taste of a Pakistani dynamic different to what we’re used to seeing in dramas; there’s no facade, and the women aren’t your definition of Pakistani women at all – you know, the stereotypical characters who have their tongues crippled and cut off.

The trailer gives a tasty insight into the estranged relationship between sisters Sanam Saeed and Aamina Sheikh

Their father falls ill, prompting Sanam’s character to come home. Both female protagonists, including their mother, are wonderfully unfiltered, real and relatable, with dapples of showing the middle finger, hair-grabbing in a fit of rage, and a rather crude proclamation in a crowded elevator. The ladies of ‘Cake’ have a voice and are unapologetic in all manner, just proving that women, in reality, aren’t all ‘soft’ – they’ve got a voice.

The film is homage to the emotional turmoils that plague families that are unrefined and not layered with facades to cater to what we’re so used to seeing in dramas

The film will make most slightly uncomfortable – those who aren’t inclined to watching Pakistani films with swearing, girls smoking, and mothers – but that’s the point and standing ovation for it. It’s not playing safe,

You’ll get ‘Kapoor & Sons’ vibes watching the trailer, so while it is essentially an indie film, it’s a fresh take on a floundering Lollywood scene

Take ‘August Osage County’ and ‘Kapoor & Sons,’ two raw tales on complex family dynamics. Both films did spectacularly well, keying in on the realness dripping within the four walls of a home. Both premises are simple; if your family is bizarre, then you’re all the more mortal. ‘Cake’ plays on that; throughout the entire trailer, you see the impish, beautifully mischievous bundle of people all trying to get through life.

Have a watch now

What are your thoughts on ‘Cake’?