A movie like Cake can help steer the way towards a discourse shunning gendered roles
LAHORE: Pakistan’s latest movie starring Amina Sheikh and Sanam Saeed Cake is doing exceptionally well all across the country for all the right reasons. Not only is the movie directed well with an excellent screenplay, it also revolves around strong female characters — a rarity among movies not only made in Pakistan but all over the subcontinent. Mainstream Bollywood movies too still lack stories that have female protagonists. The movie since its release has earned praise from almost all media outlets and has witnessed packed cinema halls.
As the movie seeks to break through gender roles, it becomes important for educational institutions in the country to take their students to cinema houses to watch the movie. At a time when even a month after the Aurat March was held, debate on a placard saying khana khud garam karlo (heat your own food) is still creating a national outcry and the recently held all female bicycle rally in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi is being criticised, a movie like Cake can help steer the way towards a discourse shunning gendered roles. Because it is simple, self-sufficiency is a skill that should be taught to men and women and gender roles should be cast away.
Laiba Akram Butt
Published in The Express Tribune, April 7th, 2018.
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