Movie Review: Apne

Update: Watch Apne here

Director Anil Sharma returns once again with his latest flick “Apne”. After creating “Gadar” and “Heroism” on screen, this time he returns with a film projecting family values, goals and ambitions amalgamated with some action-sequences (which becomes quite obvious when “Deols” are there).

The movie, as I have told earlier also, envelopes the story of an Ex-boxer Baldev Chaudhary (Dharmendra) who wants to wash the stain in his boxing career through his son Angad’s (Sunny Deol) success. Angad does excels but unfortunately things don’t go well for them and their chances of washing the stain receive heavy blows when Baldev is ditched for a better coach at the last minute in order to train a local boy to get into a boxing show. It is at this critical juncture when Baldev’s younger son Karan (Bobby Deol) gives up his dream of becoming a musician and gets into the game of boxing. His winning streak goes quite well until he loses to the current world heavy champion and ends up in hospital paralyzed. Thus Angad steps in to turn the game and to fulfil his father’s dream (with those killer punches).

In terms of action, there is nothing unique or extraordinary but it’s the emotions combined with some “dishum dishum” that audiences can relate with. After “Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya”, this is Dharmendra’s much improved performance (“Metro” was just frittering away of time). He displays entire range of emotions while portraying anxiety of a dad, who is quite tough with a mature heart. The early morning scene where he hugs his sons is truly heart warming.

Sunny Deol as Angad is good, sharing some emotional scenes with dad. While performing those punches and delivering those volatile moments, he shows that he still has some action left in him. Bobby Deol dissapoints a big deal. I really don’t know what he has done to his hair. He should take some lessons in acting also. After “Jhoom Barabar Jhoom”, this is yet another disappointing performance by him. Moreover, he doesn’t looks like a boxer from any angle. Other actors such as Shilpa Shetty, Katrina Kaif, Victor Bannerjee and Kirron Kher are average. Both Shilpa and Katrina are wasted as there is not much for them.

Anil Sharma has handled emotional sequences very well but drags the second half endlessly. Some scenes could have been avoided like Amar Singh rendering a speech and the family scenes with all “rona-dhona”. They look quite superficial. Some of the family dances seem like they have been forced upon.

Music by Himesh Reshammiya is forgettable. Kabir Lal’s cinematography is brilliant as he beautifully portrays the fields of Punjab and New York city.

All in all, I would like to give it two and a half stars for the gamut of emotions and some average action sequences..!!