As mentioned in our preview, Apne have almost everything to make it one big hit of the year. I was thrilled to watch much more than what I had expected. Apne in one sentence is Karan Johar’s love & relationship (brotherhood & paternal, not extra marital tough) saga without any of those cheesy lines and (OVER) candy floss look. Ohh.. yes plus professional real life boxing.
To see Dharamji, the original He Man of Bollywood, in the boxing ring was worth much more than cost of ticket.

eXclusive Premiere Photos Added

Cast: Dharmendra, Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Katrina & Shilpa

Rating:

After blockbuster Gadar, Anil Sharma, once again proves he is master storyteller. Apne tells a story of an ex-boxer - Baldev Singh Choudhary, his crushed dreams and his family struggle to once finally fulfill those buried dreams. Baldev, a boxer, always wanted to bring in gold for the country, but was limited to silver only. As it’s said you never win silver, but you lose the gold. He tries his best to bring pride for the nation by giving his best. Unfortunately, in one of such championship match he gets accused of doping and is banned from playing the game. His life is doomed.

He still doesn’t give up his hope and tries to transcend his ambitions, his dreams over his two sons - Angad (Sunny) & Karan (Bobby Deol). Angad pulled through fine, but was still not good enough to pull the World championship title. An opportunity strikes Baldev in the form of a T.V. Show. He trains a local boy to get into this media hyped boxing show, but is ditched for a better coach at the last minute. Once again his hopes are crushed.

Karan on the other hand wants to purse his musical career. He had just released a super hit musical album, but knowing his father’s crisis, he gives up his career in music and takes up the game of men - Boxing. He eventually makes up till World Championship match after winning almost all major championships. The match goes fine, but Karan is tricked and he ends up paralyzed in a hospital bed. Baldev, who wanted to wash a stigma is now about to lose his son.

He feels like killing himself. This is where, Angad steps in to turn the game upside down and bring his father the happiness of a lifetime.

The movie highlights family relationships, brotherhood and sacrifices of an average Indian family. As people seems to be losing family values following western independent lifestyle culture and nuclear family system, the movie just reminds those foregone values to youngsters. It’s NOT AT ALL, feel good look good kind of escapist cinema. Though some of the gore shown during the boxing match might offend the weak heart people, but the movie tends to be as realistic as possible. No fine Karan Johar or Sanjay Gupta style polishing effects have been used.

The movie belongs completely to Dharmendra. Like Amitabh Bachchan in Black, Dharmendra excels in every department; emotions & actions. Do we see another veteran aiming for black lady again? Sunny Deol takes backseat during first half, but proves his reserved powerful action in the second half; the penultimate fights even remind you of Ghatak (Sunny challenges 7 brothers of Danny). He still bears his 1000 ton punch, and still looks realistic. Bobby, after candy floss Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, yet again proves he has all to make a good actor - He gets to perform from today iPod generation stud till helpless brother trying to hide his pain for his family happiness. He excels in all departments. Regarding actresses, Shilpa & Katrina they are just adequate and doesn’t have much scope in this Deol family story.

Cinematography is excellent, especially with boxing scenes, it seems like you are watching live match. Technically, the movie doesn’t falter. One of the major drawbacks of such emotional saga is it’s not so happening music. Apart from the title songs, none of the other songs linger after the show. Some of the songs could even easily been chopped off to increase the pace of the movie.