Apne is a 2007 Indian Hindisports drama film directed by Anil Sharma. It is the first film to feature Dharmendra and his real-life sons Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol together. Previously Sunny and Bobby had worked together in Dillagi and Dharmendra and Sunny had also appeared together in Sultanat and Kshatriya. Kiron Kher, Shilpa Shetty and Katrina Kaif play the female leads. The film opened to an excellent response across India and emerged as a hit overseas as well. Dharmendra plays the role of a disgraced ex-boxer Baldev Chaudhary who tries to wash a stain in his boxing career through his sons Angad and Karan. Dharmendra had earlier played the role of a boxer in the film Main Intequam Loonga. Footage from that film is used as flashback scenes in this film to show Baldev's career as a boxer.
Plot
Former Olympic medallist boxer Baldev Choudhary is disgraced while competing for the World Heavy weight championship when a betting syndicate falsely accuses him of drug doping. He tries to erase this stain upon his honour by training up his son, Angad but financial difficulties keep them from achieving his dream. He trains a local boy to get into a media hyped TV boxing show, but is dropped for a better coach at the last minute. Baldev's younger son Karan has just launched his first music album. Realising his father is depressed, he gives up his own dream of a musical career to become a boxer and please his father. Karan persists with training and wins a series of fights, thinking that victory will bring his family together. The final match is with the current world heavy champion; Karan is tricked and he ends up paralysed in a hospital bed. Baldev, who wanted to wash a stigma is now about to lose his son. When Karan reveals the world heavy champion cheated, Angad decides to return to boxing and win the title for his father. He eventually brings the world heavyweight champion belt to India in triumph, however meanwhile Karan suffers liver damage and requires a liver to survive. A guilt stricken Baldev pleads with the doctors to use his liver, but the doctors reject the idea. In a stroke of luck, a liver is given to Karan through an unknown donor. In the end, Baldev who was going to give up his life for Karan, is instead alive and happy with his family.
The Soundtrack of the movie was composed by Himesh Reshammiya. Apne was the last film which Reshammiya and Sonu Nigam worked together due to the issues between them both.
"Dekhoon Tujhe To Pyaar Aaye" – Himesh Reshammiya, Akriti Kakkar
Response
Box office
Apne opened to a very good response throughout the country especially in the Northern territories most notably Punjab where it had a mammoth opening becoming a gigantic blockbuster in the long run. The rest of the country saw a good opening for Apne. The Gross Collection of Apne was Rs.. Overseas the film also opened to a fantastic response, especially in the UK. In its opening weekend the film made £179,457. The film entered the U.K Top Ten at number 3. In its second week the film made £320,138 and remained in the Top Ten at number 5. It was one of the few films which enjoyed extreme success at the overseas market for 2007. The film has been declared a semi-hit overseas and a hit in India.
Reviews
in his review stated that "Apne is rich in emotions and has the potential to strike a chord with families. Those who love emotional fares are bound to take a liking for its theme." The movie was also dubbed into Punjabi.
