Apne (2007)

Apne: Directed by Anil Sharma. With Dharmendra, Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Shilpa Shetty Kundra. A disgraced ex-boxer attempts to make his two sons champion boxers in order to clear his name. One son agrees with this goal, but the other does not, causing family conflicts.

“No two opinions about it. Anil Sharmau0026#39;s latest movie u0026#39;Apneu0026#39; is rich in emotions. The film, marking the coming together of the three Deols on the silver screen for the first time, is the story of familial bonding and conflicts.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHaving seen the film, it is clear why it is the best flick to cast Dharmendra and his two sons (Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol) together. The reason is its story and the three main characters in it. There is no doubt that the three Deols drew a lot from their personal lives into their performances in the film. That is why the emotions and the kinship show on the big screen, too.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBaldev Choudhary (Dharmendra) once won an Olympic silver medal in boxing. He came very close to realizing his dream of winning the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship. But he was falsely implicated in doping charges and banned from boxing.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHis dream shattered, a disgraced Baldev retires with humiliation and resentment. Now, he hopes that his elder son Angad (Sunny Deol) will fulfill his dream. But Angad doesnu0026#39;t share his fatheru0026#39;s passion for boxing.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe relation between Baldev and Angad is strained. Instead of following his fatheru0026#39;s dream, Angad has his own aspirations from life.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBaldevu0026#39;s second son Karan (Bobby Deol) is physically incapable of taking up boxing and becomes a musician.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThings take a turn with Baldevu0026#39;s growing dejection as a boxing coach. This is when Karan, the younger son, is healed and decides to don the boxing gloves to fulfill his fatheru0026#39;s dream.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhat follows next is the struggle of the two sons to restore their fatheru0026#39;s lost honour by realizing his dream.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eu0026#39;Apneu0026#39; is not so much about boxing as it is about the special bonds between family members. Thankfully, the film doesnu0026#39;t delve into stereotypes. The leading character Baldev has some shades of grey to the extent that he wants to force his will upon his sons only to redeem himself. Then there is Sunny Deolu0026#39;s character that doesnu0026#39;t see eye to eye with his father. In fact, sequences featuring Sunny and Dharmendra are among the best in the film.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe movieu0026#39;s story develops gradually and as it does so it sucks you in. The boxing matches in the second half are very convincingly shot. However, Sunny Deolu0026#39;s taking on the heavyweight champion (played by Chris Anderson) is a bit hard to digest.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe filmu0026#39;s music by Himesh Reshammiya is strictly okay. The cinematography by Kabir Lal is eye-catching. The filmu0026#39;s editor, however, could have been more liberal in his job. The filmu0026#39;s duration (a little less than three hours) could ideally be shortened to avoid deeper bumps on the seats of cinema halls.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDharmendra is the central force of u0026#39;Apneu0026#39;. Without him the movie would lose its soul. It is both surprising and pleasing to see Dharmendra deliver a powerhouse performance after doing utterly forgettable films like u0026#39;Kis Kis Ki Kismatu0026#39; and u0026#39;Hum Kaun Haiu0026#39;.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe septuagenarian actor breathes life and fire into his performance. His characteru0026#39;s dream, his dejection, his resentment, his endearing charm and his anger is so very believable. Dharmendra proves yet again that he has not lost command over the craft of acting.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSunny Deol looks a little aged and worn out for his role in the film. Despite this, he delivers a notable performance. Though for the most part he stays restrained and mellowed, but when his wrath is invoked, the actor gives you goose bumps with his performance.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBobby Deolu0026#39;s acting is to the mark. He remains understated and doesnu0026#39;t have as many dialogues in the film as the other Deols.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe filmu0026#39;s heroines Katrina Kaif and Shilpa Shetty have small roles. Kiron Kher is brilliant yet again in a natural performance.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDirector Anil Sharma gets many things right in u0026#39;Apneu0026#39;. Rather than focusing on action, he taps the emotive appeal of the filmu0026#39;s story. The result is a film that can leave you with moist eyes.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMy personal opinion worth the movie NOT a typical bollywood love story.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003e8.0 / 10.0 Regards”