Will Adnan Malik be the goodluck charm for ‘Cake’?

‘Sadqay Tumhare’ star talks film debut, Pakistani cinema and more

DALLAS: He has time and again been the talk of town for his ramp appearances and TV dramas. While both have made him one of the most sought-after bachelors in the entertainment industry, Adnan Malik’s acting prowess has motivated him to take a step into a higher league.

The Sadqay Tumhare star is all set to make his big screen debut with Asim Abbasi’s upcoming project Cake. A few days before the release of his first feature film, the talented, intelligent and intense young man talks to The Express Tribune about Cake, Pakistani cinema, minority rights and more.

PHOTO: SAMYA ARIF

The Express Tribune (ET): ‘Cake’ will have its wide release on March 30, 2018. How does it feel to be few days away from making your film debut?

Adnan Malik (AM): It is very exciting. I am looking forward to the release of Cake. It is a very strong film, both engaging and entertaining. A lot of people worked very hard, and with great honesty, to make Cake the film that it is today. I am hoping that the honesty, talent and hard work of the film’s cast and crew will be rewarded with success and appreciation.

ET: Did you enjoy working in ‘Cake’?

AM: Immensely. My co-stars Aamina Sheikh and Sanam Saeed, along with Beo Rana Zafar and Mohammed Ahmed, believed in Cake and were always on the same page as me. We developed a bond and a very productive camaraderie, which made being on the set a veritable pleasure. It brought out the best in us as actors and as people. One of my lines from the film reads, “Just because you do not value someone else’s dreams, it does not mean that their dreams do not have value.” All of us – the cast and the crew – valued Asim’s dreams and worked together to make them a reality. The whole process felt effortless.

'Cake' brings RD Burman's classic 'Piya Tu Ab Toh Aaja' back to life

ET: You made your acting debut with ‘Sadqay Tumhare’. Many offers to act in films must have come your way after the incredible success of the serial. Why did you select ‘Cake’ to be your first feature film as an actor?

AM: Yes, I did get a few offers to act in films after Sadqay Tumhare but none of them really appealed to me. In a lot of cases, the film-makers were unprepared when they spoke to me. Either the teams were not in place, the financing was not ready or the script was incomplete. This made it very difficult for me to connect with the films that were offered to me and take the offers seriously. Three things sold me on Cake: the story, the team and Asim’s vision.

PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/ ADNAN MALIK

ET: Is it true that you turned down the offer to act in ‘Cake’, the first time director Asim Abbasi approached you?

AM: Yes, it is. I felt that the role that I was offered, that of the male lead, Romeo, was relatively small and not properly fleshed out. I declined to play Romeo the first time because I was looking to do meatier roles at the time.

But, two things changed my mind. Firstly, the role of Romeo had evolved into a significant one during the re-writes of the script and become integral to the story of Cake. Secondly, Dil Banjara made me realise that I did my best work when I was surrounded by positive, like-minded people. I had heard a lot about the good cheer and positivity that surrounded Asim’s film and the team assembled by him seemed to have a similar mindset as I did. The whole project was developing an aura that was very attractive for me.

A ‘Cake’ with a different flavour

ET: Was Asim Abbasi excited to hear that you had changed your mind about doing ‘Cake’?

AM: If he was, he did not show it!  In fact, he asked me to audition for the role of Romeo even though he had offered it to me at first. I guess that is the way the cookie crumbles. Asim’s reaction made me even more eager to be a part of the team. After all, who wants to be a member of a club that readily accepts him as a member?

ET: The trailer of ‘Cake’ received a lot of praise, even from the most exacting of critics. Did the tremendous reception surprise you?

AM: Yes, it did. It was one of the two trailers that had been made for Cake. One was a little dark and the other was funnier and lighter. The team decided to go with the latter and was holding its breath when the trailer was released. We are all glad that it was received so very well. I believe people have been waiting for a Pakistani film that is not formulaic and breaks out of the tired old mold of derivative Bollywood cinema.

PHOTO: FACEBOOK/ CAKE THE FILM

One of the issues that hurts Pakistani cinema is the desire to watch and produce films that imitate Bollywood. Cake is an important film because, if successful, it could change the trend and encourage producers to invest in films that are original and groom audiences to want more than copies of Bollywood films. We need more authentic stories to be told. So, a lot is riding on this film.

ET: Do you believe that positive reviews help a film’s chances of success?

AM: Yes, absolutely. People rely on word-of-mouth and on reviews when deciding to see a film. No one likes to watch a film that has not been talked about. Personally, I believe that reviews should be detailed, insightful and informative, instead of being singularly positive or negative. They should never be black or white and must always be nuanced, much like good cinema!

ET: Your character in ‘Cake’ is very different from your own, certainly in the areas of religion, education, social status and sense of style. Did you find playing Romeo challenging?

Romeo is very different from me and the characters I have played on television. Initially, I was not sure if I was the right person to play Romeo but Asim had tremendous confidence in my ability to bring the character to life.

PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/ CAKE THE FILM

ET: You are known to be a man of style. Romeo, on the other hand, is a simple young man with little, if any, sense of fashion. Were you concerned that playing the character convincingly would tarnish your image of being a fashion icon?

AM: I had a bit of a concern in the beginning but it went away as Romeo’s look was developed and I got to like it. I am a professional actor and understand that I have to dress up like the characters I play and not like myself. The actors that I admire – Amir Khan, Cate Blanchett, Daniel Day-Lewis, Jennifer Lawrence, Joaquin Phoenix, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui – almost never play themselves on screen. Acting is a cathartic process for me; I like getting into the skin of people who are not me, but require a little essence of me to come to life. That, in my mind, is the beauty of acting.

ET: Romeo is Christian. What is it that you learned about Pakistani Christians while researching and preparing for the role of Romeo?

AM: Although I have a lot of Christian friends, I did learn a lot about Pakistani Christians while researching for the role of Romeo.  I found that in many ways they are treated as second class citizens by Pakistani Muslims and have to deal with discrimination, abuse and workplace inequality. This was very distressing because the mistreatment of religious minorities is against the tenets of Islam and the values upon which Pakistan was founded.

ET: Do you believe that ‘Cake’ will foster and encourage greater empathy for Pakistani Christians? 

AM: Yes, I hope so. I believe that my decision to play Romeo in Cake will help mainstream Christians in our society. Pakistanis need to see people of other religions in films, television dramas, stage plays, novels, stories and poems, in roles that are positive, admirable and respectable.

PHOTO: SCREENGRAB

ET: One of the themes of ‘Cake’ is contentious familial relationships and sibling estrangement. You belong to a very closely knit and ostensibly, happy family. Was the dysfunctional family depicted in the film totally alien to you? 

AM: Oh no, not at all. We are a sufficiently dysfunctional family. In fact, each family is dysfunctional in its own peculiar and often, charming way. A perfect family does not exist, even though every family tries to present itself as one. What is presented to the world is not the truth of family. Cake offers us an insightful view of the inner workings and conflicts of family. I think that is truly beautiful.

ET: The sisters in Cake, Zareen and Zara, are played by two very talented actors – Aamina Sheikh and Sanam Saeed. Did you enjoy the experience of working with the two very capable actors?

AM: Absolutely. They are two of the finest actors in Pakistan. Sanam understands the craft of acting really well and works with great discipline and seriousness. Aamina is an emotional powerhouse and brings a lot of raw energy to her performance. I had a great time working with the two of them and had to up my game to match their calibre. Beo Rana Zafar and Mohammed Ahmed were brilliant in the film as well. Their love in the film is very inspiring. I loved the chemistry that they have with each other.

ET: A lot of people have very high hopes for ‘Cake’. Do you feel it will live up to the very tall expectations and prove to be a game-changer for Pakistani cinema?

AM: Yes, I think and hope so.  Cake is an important film that has been created by a brilliant film-maker with the support of a visionary producer, Syed Zulfiqar Bukhari and a mammoth distributor, B4U. Asim has taken a risk by making something that is unprecedented, raw and deeply personal. If Cake is successful, we will see more personal stories coming out of Pakistan.

PHOTO: SCREENGRAB

I believe that Pakistan needs to look at itself in a new way and force the world to look at it in a new way. This can only happen through the stories we tell, the manner in which we tell them and the way we present ourselves in the stories. In my heart, Cake is the perfect lens to read and understand 21^st century Pakistan.

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