Magic has no expiry date. Nor does it ever lose its touch.
That is what makes Dharmendra so timeless. The seventy plus actor, known for his devastating good looks, emotional demeanour and remarkable body of work, reminds us why he is so special.
There is a lot of actor in him left untapped. And unlike his previously embarrassing outings (
Kis Kis Ki Kismat and
Hum Kaun Hain?) which failed to assert so, Anil Sharma's
Apne allows him to demonstrate just that.
There's also this curiosity factor of seeing the three Deols -- Dharmendra, Sunny and Bobby share screen space for the first time. One appreciates the delicate bonding between the genuinely warm-hearted Jats.
In essence,
Apne is not so much a boxer's fairy tale, as it is a family kerchief caper that salutes the 'can do' spirit. Here's how:
Having been banned from the world of boxing on false doping charges, former Olympics silver medallist Baldev Singh Chaudhry (Dharmendra) retires to a life of haunting humiliation and growing resentment.
His hopes of seeing elder son, Angad (Sunny Deol) restore his lost honour are squashed, after the latter refuses to play the 'worthless' game. Going by the fate he meets in the ring, you can't really blame him for thinking so. Instead, at the risk of evoking his boxing-obsessed father's wrath, he throws himself in revolutionizing agricultural farming.
His kid brother Karan (Bobby Deol), partially handicapped post a childhood mishap, takes up music as a profession.
With neither son inclined to the sport to which he gave his all, Baldev becomes increasingly bitter. An ungrateful coaching experience (Aryan Vaid) shatters Baldev completely.
His break-down triggers something in Karan and his until now paralysed arm is miraculously healed. He resolves to fulfil his father's lifetime wish of becoming an international boxing champion.
After rigorous training, our Punjabi stallion is fit enough to break every rib his gloves face (including Vaid's). Now the only thing standing between Karan and a champion's belt is Luca Gracia (played by a super stiff Chris Anderson -- an African American with an Italian handle, how inventive is that?)
The
Rocky-inspired match has a rather tragic outcome, leaving Angad with very little choice. The move is as ridiculous as Sunny battling out an armed force of 100 in
Gadar. Here he challenges to take on a title holder with just a month's preparation. So much that even Dharmendra can't resist quipping: 'Boxers retire at your age.'
This segment of
Apne heavily relies on Sylvester Stallone's Oscar-winning
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