Being a very big fan of Dharmendra, there was no way that I could have missed seeing ‘Apne’. I must admit that I was very much apprehensive about how good the film would be and had a feeling that I would return back disappointed. After all, the last 30 films of Dharmendra have been disasters, leaving me disgusted, and I had little hopes from this film too.
However, I was in for an absolutely pleasant shock. ’Apne’ turned out to be excellent, in fact one of the best films not only of Dharmendra but of Sunny and Bobby as well. The euphoria of seeing the 3 Deol’s together in a one film was exhilarating. The camaraderie, chemistry and exuberance exhibited by the Deols are electrifying to say the least.
The story is about the manner in which the two sons of a wrongfully disgraced boxing champ strive to restore his pride. The film remains faithful to its story throughout, never diverting from the central theme. No sub-plots, item numbers, romantic interludes or menacing villains to dilute the spirit of the story at any stage. Very few films have been made in India about sports and the few that have been made have been absolutely mediocre and forgettable. But ‘Apne’ is extraordinary.
The sentiments and thoughts expressed through this film along with its underlying message have never been presented in any film in the past. Instead of being an old wine in a new bottle, this film is like an intoxicatingly new flavour of wine in a contemporarily new and trendy bottle. The pulsating boxing bouts, the throbbing-with-life training sessions are brilliantly and expertly executed, resembling a foreign film. The leading ladies Shilpa Shetty, Kiron Kher, Katrina Kaif and Divya Dutta play dignified supporting roles lending strength and character to the story. Victor Banerjee, as Dharmendra’s friend and confidante is superb and needs to consider a fulltime Bollywood career. The scenes in which the 3 Deols appear together are priceless and shall warm the cockles of very fan of the Deols, bringing tears to the eyes of many.
The scene, in which the three of them break into a jig mimicking the inimitable and infamous dance steps of Dharmendra, is hilarious. There are not too many unnecessary songs and the few that form a part of the film are in tempo with the pace of the story. The racy ‘You got to survive, you got to hit the bull’s-eye’ and the sentimental “Apne to apne hote hain’ serve as theme songs that keep popping up at the right times. The other two songs are typical Himmesh Reshamiyya numbers of which ‘Dekhoon tujhe to pyaar aaye’ has already topped the popularity charts. Dharmendra’s house set amidst the lush green agricultural fields of Punjab serve as an excellent setting for the film.
Anil Sharma deserves a standing ovation for conceptualising and filming a story that brings the Deols together and coming up with an absolutely professional product. It is definitely his best film, too. The performances stand out and the three Deols come up with their career best efforts. The Deols along with Anil Sharma seem to have left no stone unturned to ensure a memorable film that would remain etched in public memories forever. A few regrets do remain – The film should have been made at least 10 years ago when Sunny would have been younger and well-toned while Dharamji would have looked less haggard. Bobby’s physique does not do full justice to be cast as a world-class boxer and why could they not have cast Hema as Dharams screen wife with Esha as his daughter instead of Kiron Kher and Divya Dutta fulfilling these responsibilities. Surely, Anil Sharma must have thought of such a casing coup but there must have been highly compelling reasons not to do so. Finally, whether you are a Deol fan or otherwise, do not miss this great film. See it on the giant screen with your full family for a totally out-of-the ordinary film Hindi film experience.