Apne (2007)

Sadly Over-hyped

Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

A Masterpiece!

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

I am not going to create and write my own comments here as it may take a looong time. So instead I choose to repost the comments posted on the IBN Live website which describes this stinker better than anything else.................The worst thing you can do to an actor is make him look like an ass. Which is why I think the three male leads of Apne are probably gunning for director Anil Sharma's blood.Apne, which opens at cinemas this week, features yesteryear's star Dharmendra as a former world boxing champion who was banned from the sport after being falsely framed under doping charges.Much to his disappointment, his elder son (played by Sunny Deol) decides not to take up the sport professionally, and opts instead for a more practical career.Daddy dearest, who was hoping to realize his own unfulfilled ambitions through his elder son, is dismayed naturally, but turns his attention to his younger son, (played by Bobby Deol), who's only just recovered from a childhood injury, but seems happy nevertheless to enter the ring.Under the able tutelage of his father, Beta Number Two fast becomes a boxing star and makes his way to the finals of an international championship in the US , but sadly that's just as far as he can make it, defeated as he is by reigning champion Luca Gracia who uses dishonourable means to beat him.It is now the turn of Bade Bhaiyya to avenge his younger sibling's unfair defeat and near-death thrashing.So Beta Number One spends a month in training, then enters the ring to take on his brother's nemesis.That gesture alone, and his subsequent victory, redeems him in the eyes of his father who'd never really forgiven him in all these years.Evidently it's the fact that Dharmendra, Sunny and Bobby Deol appear together for the first time on screen, that is the main highlight of Apne, but how you wish the family had chosen a better film to do the honours with.To make a film for the sake of it, is one of the worst things you can do. A film should be made because you've got a great story to tell.Sadly, this is no great story. In fact, it's a melodramatic piece that's about thirty years too late.The worst thing about Apne is that it disguises itself as a sports film when actually the film abuses the very spirit of sportsmanship.I'd have no problems if they'd projected boxing as a highly competitive sport. What they do, instead, is project the sport as some sort of a bloody battleground where rules are constantly flouted and all one fights for is the opponent's blood.I was also disgusted by the sickening pleasure that's taken in making you uncomfortable watching those boxing scenes.Every time a punch is thrown, you can hear the bones crunch, you can hear the ribs crack.This is highly exploitative and it's done with the sole intention of making you turn away your face in disgust like you do when you're watching a gruesome horror film.Like most recent films by Anil Sharma, Apne too is embarrassingly soppy. The director does everything he can to tug at your heartstrings and make you weep like his actors do.But the only reason you're reduced to tears is because you can no longer handle the absurdity of the plot.How Bobby Deol goes from a pop-star with a limp arm to a world boxing champ in just a few months is one of the marvels of modern medicine that doctors the world over may not have been able to solve, but director Anil Sharma seems to have got all figured out.Some three hours later when the film finally ends, you feel like you've come out of battle. There's very little you can say about the performance of the three Deols, and that's a pity because they've been let down by such a terrible script.I'm going to go with one out of five and a thumbs down for director Anil Sharma's Apne, it reeks of over-sentimentality and unnecessary rona-dhona.Round one, the Deols defeat Luca Gracia. Coming up is round two -- the Deols versus Anil Sharma.

I can't believe that so many people who have commented here actually liked this junk of a movie. I also can't believe that Dharmendra himself asked his director friend Anil Sharma to make this complete mess of a movie for his family. All these years Dharmendra did so many good films and the best among them were Sholay, Sultanat, Saazish, International Crook, Kahani Kismat Ki, Dadagiri, Karishma Kudarat Ka, Katilon Ke Katil, Dharam Veer, Insaniyat Ke Dushman, Hukumat and many more. But how the hell he got himself and his whole family into this mess of a movie is something I will never understand. Fist of all the story is a complete copy of Rocky 4 to be honest. Here Bobby Deol plays the Appolo Creed(Carl Weathers) while Sunny Deol plays the Rocky (Sylvester Stallone) and both these brothers make a complete mess of this whole badly scripted and even poorly acted nonsense movie. First of all these gentlemen should have thought about how different was Sly in all his movies and in the Rocky 4 part he was at the peak of his career and he looked completely ripped after getting years of training from 2 times Mr. Olympia Franco Columbo(also a friend of Arnold Schwarzenegger). In contrast Sunny Deol looked like a yellow bear without any innocent cute looks of an animal(esp bear). He is overweight, completely out of shape, has no muscle whatsoever to come closer to even a 61 year Sylvester Stallone now. And he looks even worse with a hairy chest which again reminds me of an old bear(only bear looks much better). And to make the things worse he acts like he is the only man left in the world who knows some boxing and he is supported in his childish acting and behavior by his half drunken father. In the Rocky 4 Sylvester Stallone always plays a cool and calm guy and his amazingly handsome Adonis looks really made him unmatchable for the rest of the world let alone Punjab. I would say that both Dharamendra and Sunnny Deol should do some serious exercise and stop drinking immediately to avoid further damage to their bad health(family health). Also they should leave Bobby do some family business(not movies please) as we Dharmendra fans can't stand him anymore. I really hope they will take some lessons from this stinker of a movie(Apne) and look at the world around with open and sensible minds so that we may get a chance to see the great father and son duo we once saw in Suntanat. I would say avoid this movie at all costs, if you really don't have anything to do then better watch some better looking animals on TV (animal planet), but not in this stinker.

It has never been a secret that Dharmendra made the careers of his sons. They turned out to be fantastic actors. I liked the movies of Dharmendra, I was surprised he got back in front of the camera. And also with both of his sons.Now the idea was great. Dharmendra used to be a boxer in America. But he got kicked out because they thought he used doping. Dharmendra wanted his son Sunny to be a boxer too, but sunny refused. Sunny did not see a rich career in boxing. His other son Bobby could not box, because he had a disabled left hand.But then Bobby sudden can use his hand and want his father's dream to come true. But still Dharmendra is angry about Sunny.This movie has not a great story. Camera and acting was not that great too. Sunny Deol's Hairdress was ridiculous! Bobby Deol could not act as a handicapped person. It was not convincing. Only to hide your hand does not make you disable.This is an emotional movie. It could have been a good tear jerker, but it isn't. And that is the moment where this movie goes wrong. Dharmendra cannot act well. His face cannot show emotions. Besides that, the camera work does not work for me. It's like they were not shooting a movie, but a commercial.What was Shilpa Shetty doing in this movie? Was she the daughter of Dharmendra, or was she the daughter in law? In the beginning this was not clear.The most annoying mistakes filmmakers can make, when they put American/English actors or actresses in their movie, is that the movie does not work. This because the English accents are weird. The accents are not like they supposed to be. It's more exaggerated. In Sohail Khan's movies this happens all the time. I like Sohail's Movies, but the English accents aren't real.Now this movie has pinned itself that a boxing match has to be 12 rounds. Why? A knockout can be done in 3 rounds. So you see the fighters fight, and you see the signs of the rounds. It was all unnecessary. This movie cannot be compared to Rocky, Cinderella man or Million Dollar baby. This movie did not work for me.

Great Power Punch by DEOLS, Great movie at all, the focus of movie is on "BIG D" i.e. Dharam Ji and Dharam Ji gives the signal that "He is Back" to rock, with lots of emotions, melody drama the movie is a perfect family drama. While watching the movie you will realize that your are watching your own family drama. Sunny Deol again do the great job with the small role to his side, he give lots of attention to "Big D" and Brother Bobby. Bobby also did the great job. The story of the movie is average but the emotions, chemistry between the TRIO did the right job and the becomes HIT. Film Director Anil Sharma (Family Director) did good job and has done magic of bringing the TRIO first time in Bollywood Industry. Kiron Kher, Shilpa Shetty, Katrina Kaif, Divya Dutta,etc. had small roles but they had done it with heart. The music is good, great cinematography specially of the Boxing ring, good editing, at last good movie to watch. A great family entertainer. 10 out of 10 Best Actor Award for Dharam Ji