I told myself that I won’t, I won’t, I won’t; but here I am scribbling down a few sentiments about Anil Sharma’s Apne. That the film is disappointing and devastating is a well known phenomenon by now. That it borrows heavily from K3G and then takes the Jo Jeeta route isn’t a hidden secret either. But what remains an intriguing mystery is the fact that Director Anil Sharma hasn’t moved away from the narrative style which was boring and outdated even in the late 1980s.
What has changed with Apne then? The family structure, the patriarchy, the style of presentation, even the camera angles and important scenes in the film will give the viewer an eerie sense of a bad déjà vu, as they shall recollect the insipid and lack luster offerings that were being dished out in the name of Family Dramas, ages ago in the 1970s and 80s. As a loyalist of Hindi Cinema, I felt extremely disgusted when Sunny Deol wiped off the Sindoor from Shilpa’s forehead. Borrowed heavily from the archaic era of patriarchy, this scene does really make even the Saas Bahu sagas on television look progressive. What in the name of God did the director and the screenplay writer think of while penning it down and then executing it, and whether the latest global martyr of India, Ms. Shetty was blackmailed into doing it, or was she on sedatives while doing it and whether she would take this issue up after the ruckus over racism subsides, as her personal cause; shall definitely qualify as the upcoming issues for the Content Development Dept. of the mushrooming NEWS channels on the Indian media front.
Dharamji is adorable at times and annoying at others. Bobby tries hard, but is handicapped by a lame character and perhaps he suffers from the syndrome of being the writer’s step child. Let us not get into the details of the female characters, because it is seriously a pleasure to watch Shilpa Shetty actually do something on screen, rather than making a mountain out a molehill on several occasions and being the Poster Girl for modern India’s struggle to be a part of the egalitarian global fraternity. Also, as a young man smitten by the Katrina bug, I seriously felt cheated, because the film didn’t even show enough frames of the ethereal beauty. I was very well aware that the male dominated plot of the film wasn’t conducive to showcase the beauty, but then at least a few frames of the woman, could have made a few male fans go berserk in their seats. I must say the movie is worse marketed, if the general sentiment is that it is badly made.
Kirron Kher is her typical loud self and the film certainly cashes in on that. Also, it would be unfair at this point to acknowledge the fact that the woman manages amazing chemistry with the stars of the yesteryears like nobody else today can. And thus she is most welcome as the new age mother of Hindi cinema today. With Devdas, Hum Tum, Veer Zaara, Rang De Basanti, Main Hoon Na, KANK and several others already into her kitty, she has proved it yet again that she is the best possible candidate for that category currently. And yes, irrespective of her monotonous look in most of the films, she is entertaining and also her presence is reassuring. Amongst others, Victor Banerjee completely loses out on the class, which I believe he had acquired with the repertoire of his movies previously. And yes, I refuse to waste words on Divya Dutta, who just had to be there. Honestly, the woman who did so well as the maid in Veer Zaara has been wasted in the movie. Her role could have been very well enacted by any chick on the K block of Indian television.
And finally, my most favourite actor in the first half, and most hated one in the second one, Mr. Sunny Deol. As the silent elder brother, doting husband and ideal Ramayana archetype of a son who doesn’t back answer his father, come what may, I genuinely liked him. I did manage to catch the senti Sunny on Koffee with Karan, and thus the character seemed to be inspired from the real Sunny. Those portions are interesting in their entirety and Oscar winning when compared to the insipid bouts of forced action which pretty much make up the penultimate portions of the supposed saga of sentiments. What on earth made the makers drill action into the plot? The answer is simple, it is one of those antics which film makers try to woo the janta. But these sequences here are like adding dollops of chilly powder into a bowl of Kheer, to make it tastier. The result in the film is just as catastrophic, as it is with the recipe.
Technically, this film is perhaps India’s first film without an editor. And no I am not saying it coz it actually lacks the editor, but mainly because the film looks unedited, and the editor’s work is so effortlessly done, that one can sense that he/she didn’t take any efforts at all. It is a pleasure to have Kabir Lal back after a hiatus and some of the frames do remind me of his previous work in Taal and Kaho Na Pyaar Hai amongst others. However, apart from the fact that Kabir Lal is back, there isn’t anything extraordinary about the cinematography of Apne.
The sets by Sanjay Dhabade are passable, but the big house is beautiful, and apart from being a treat to the eyes, it also looks real and inhabitable. For a film which features the Deols, the lesser said about the choreography and the dancers, the better. As for the costume designers, well more than half of Bobby’s outfits look as if they have mud sprayed over them, and Katrina’s clothes make her look more like a botoxed bimbette rather than a medical professional. They do manage to give her some silly glasses, to add to the IQ level of her look, which is something that the designer certainly lacks. But lets us not get there. Shilpa Shetty looks prettier than all the mannequins in the world, and one wishes that she permanently settles down for some such job. I am sure she’ll rake in a lot of moolah considering the recent boom in the retail business.
Monty’s background music is better than Himesh’s musical track. A comparison of the two will show, why irrespective of Himesh being the flavour of the season; Monty is doing the music for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming Saanwariya. However Monty has copied some of his own work from Devdas in certain portions of the film. And finally, I don’t know who amongst the music in-charges did it, but the perpetual usage of the title song, for every second time the family members have a hugging session, is not only annoying, but also displeasing to the ear.
The coming together of the three Deols should ideally have been dealt with more maturity and business sense, rather than going overboard with the emotions initially, and going beyond going overboard with Sunny’s action. Give him a break Mr. Director; he can deliver beyond flexed muscles, and smashing the daylights out of a zillion people. Kindly give him the opportunity to do so. For all you know, he may just not be in the Gadar mode, and still give a hit. Why bloody stick to forced formula, and spoil the creative enterprise?
So that’s all about Apne I guess. In stead of delivering, the film tends to be desolate of emotions and the viewer in the end is deprived of entertainment. Thus Apne is a very bad proposition from the ROI perspective, and one would rather save his Apne Paise, than watch Apne.
What has changed with Apne then? The family structure, the patriarchy, the style of presentation, even the camera angles and important scenes in the film will give the viewer an eerie sense of a bad déjà vu, as they shall recollect the insipid and lack luster offerings that were being dished out in the name of Family Dramas, ages ago in the 1970s and 80s. As a loyalist of Hindi Cinema, I felt extremely disgusted when Sunny Deol wiped off the Sindoor from Shilpa’s forehead. Borrowed heavily from the archaic era of patriarchy, this scene does really make even the Saas Bahu sagas on television look progressive. What in the name of God did the director and the screenplay writer think of while penning it down and then executing it, and whether the latest global martyr of India, Ms. Shetty was blackmailed into doing it, or was she on sedatives while doing it and whether she would take this issue up after the ruckus over racism subsides, as her personal cause; shall definitely qualify as the upcoming issues for the Content Development Dept. of the mushrooming NEWS channels on the Indian media front.
Dharamji is adorable at times and annoying at others. Bobby tries hard, but is handicapped by a lame character and perhaps he suffers from the syndrome of being the writer’s step child. Let us not get into the details of the female characters, because it is seriously a pleasure to watch Shilpa Shetty actually do something on screen, rather than making a mountain out a molehill on several occasions and being the Poster Girl for modern India’s struggle to be a part of the egalitarian global fraternity. Also, as a young man smitten by the Katrina bug, I seriously felt cheated, because the film didn’t even show enough frames of the ethereal beauty. I was very well aware that the male dominated plot of the film wasn’t conducive to showcase the beauty, but then at least a few frames of the woman, could have made a few male fans go berserk in their seats. I must say the movie is worse marketed, if the general sentiment is that it is badly made.
Kirron Kher is her typical loud self and the film certainly cashes in on that. Also, it would be unfair at this point to acknowledge the fact that the woman manages amazing chemistry with the stars of the yesteryears like nobody else today can. And thus she is most welcome as the new age mother of Hindi cinema today. With Devdas, Hum Tum, Veer Zaara, Rang De Basanti, Main Hoon Na, KANK and several others already into her kitty, she has proved it yet again that she is the best possible candidate for that category currently. And yes, irrespective of her monotonous look in most of the films, she is entertaining and also her presence is reassuring. Amongst others, Victor Banerjee completely loses out on the class, which I believe he had acquired with the repertoire of his movies previously. And yes, I refuse to waste words on Divya Dutta, who just had to be there. Honestly, the woman who did so well as the maid in Veer Zaara has been wasted in the movie. Her role could have been very well enacted by any chick on the K block of Indian television.
And finally, my most favourite actor in the first half, and most hated one in the second one, Mr. Sunny Deol. As the silent elder brother, doting husband and ideal Ramayana archetype of a son who doesn’t back answer his father, come what may, I genuinely liked him. I did manage to catch the senti Sunny on Koffee with Karan, and thus the character seemed to be inspired from the real Sunny. Those portions are interesting in their entirety and Oscar winning when compared to the insipid bouts of forced action which pretty much make up the penultimate portions of the supposed saga of sentiments. What on earth made the makers drill action into the plot? The answer is simple, it is one of those antics which film makers try to woo the janta. But these sequences here are like adding dollops of chilly powder into a bowl of Kheer, to make it tastier. The result in the film is just as catastrophic, as it is with the recipe.
Technically, this film is perhaps India’s first film without an editor. And no I am not saying it coz it actually lacks the editor, but mainly because the film looks unedited, and the editor’s work is so effortlessly done, that one can sense that he/she didn’t take any efforts at all. It is a pleasure to have Kabir Lal back after a hiatus and some of the frames do remind me of his previous work in Taal and Kaho Na Pyaar Hai amongst others. However, apart from the fact that Kabir Lal is back, there isn’t anything extraordinary about the cinematography of Apne.
The sets by Sanjay Dhabade are passable, but the big house is beautiful, and apart from being a treat to the eyes, it also looks real and inhabitable. For a film which features the Deols, the lesser said about the choreography and the dancers, the better. As for the costume designers, well more than half of Bobby’s outfits look as if they have mud sprayed over them, and Katrina’s clothes make her look more like a botoxed bimbette rather than a medical professional. They do manage to give her some silly glasses, to add to the IQ level of her look, which is something that the designer certainly lacks. But lets us not get there. Shilpa Shetty looks prettier than all the mannequins in the world, and one wishes that she permanently settles down for some such job. I am sure she’ll rake in a lot of moolah considering the recent boom in the retail business.
Monty’s background music is better than Himesh’s musical track. A comparison of the two will show, why irrespective of Himesh being the flavour of the season; Monty is doing the music for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming Saanwariya. However Monty has copied some of his own work from Devdas in certain portions of the film. And finally, I don’t know who amongst the music in-charges did it, but the perpetual usage of the title song, for every second time the family members have a hugging session, is not only annoying, but also displeasing to the ear.
The coming together of the three Deols should ideally have been dealt with more maturity and business sense, rather than going overboard with the emotions initially, and going beyond going overboard with Sunny’s action. Give him a break Mr. Director; he can deliver beyond flexed muscles, and smashing the daylights out of a zillion people. Kindly give him the opportunity to do so. For all you know, he may just not be in the Gadar mode, and still give a hit. Why bloody stick to forced formula, and spoil the creative enterprise?
So that’s all about Apne I guess. In stead of delivering, the film tends to be desolate of emotions and the viewer in the end is deprived of entertainment. Thus Apne is a very bad proposition from the ROI perspective, and one would rather save his Apne Paise, than watch Apne.
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