From the moment we open our eyes for the first time into this world till our last breath, our parents never stop loving us even for a second. Their love never falters but rather strengthens with time. They often go to great lengths to ensure that their children are well taken care of at all times. But what happens when life throws a curveball that endangers their precious child’s desire? Half Cake looks into this matter, urging us to try on a pair of innovative perspective lenses that can match the tune of any situation.
Half Cake: A Closer Look
Directed by Prutha Kadam, Half Cake is a short film over 11 minutes that touches on a very familiar topic in its unique way, i.e., parental love. Parental love is a kind of love that is very different from other kinds of love out there. In this, you choose to love someone unconditionally without knowing how they will truly end up being. It’s a very unpredictable kind of love, a risk that only the brave of hearts can take in stride. Rukmani leaves no stone unturned to shower her only child Shaan with all the love she possibly can in Half Cake.
A simple story told in an even simpler way, Half Cake brings to light the lengths to which a mother can go to ensure that all the wishes of her kid are fulfilled. Shaan has a very simple wish for his birthday, a birthday cake just like the one he saw in the cake shop. This simple wish may seem like a small desire for many of us, but for Rukmani who could barely manage to keep a roof over her head with her meagre salary, it was as big as the Himalayas.
After a lot of hardships Rukmani almost managed to conquer the Himalayas called the birthday cake, but sadly she failed. And when all hopes seemed lost, fate finally played all its cards giving Rukmani a chance to fulfill her son’s wish with a twist. The entire concept though not new is still unique in the way it gets executed. The way Rukmani tries hard to find a way around the job she currently has even though she can’t wait to change it just for the sake of her son highlights the lengths parents go to for their kids.
Afterword
With beautiful camerawork that is shot entirely at the mid-level angle highlights the power of the plot and actors’ actions to showcase social hierarchies. The Half Cake aesthetic is taking the social media world by storm but this particular Half Cake is bound to leave you in a heavy rain spell of joy that precedes a storm.
