The Champ was a runaway hit when released in 1979. A love triangle between a father, his son and the woman who came between them, it was a super film brilliantly essayed by Jon Voight, Faye Dunaway and Rick Schroder. The flick had boxing as its backdrop. APNE, tries to go The Champ way, and succeeds in a way.
But here, the script revolves around a boxer father; how he was 'fixed' and banned from boxing and his desire to have his eldest son bring back the glory. Realizing that there is no future in boxing in India, Angad (Sunny Deol) the eldest son ventures into business. So it is left by divine intervention for the youngest son Karan (Bobby Deol) who has a useless left hand, and who is miraculously cured, to enter the ring and challenge the World heavy Weight Boxing champion, Luca Garcia (Jonnie Brown) and realize Baldev Choudhary's (Dhammendra) dream.
The film begins with a whimper, but somewhere along the way there is a loud bang, thanks to the superbly filmed boxing bouts. If at all there is anything that will work here, it's the scenes in the boxing ring. Also, the curiosity factor of seeing the Deols together on screen for the first time. The chemistry Dharmendra shares with his sons reflects easily on screen and the awe in which Sunny is of his father is there for all to see. Together they punch their way on screen to give the viewer some engrossing moments.
Shilpa Shetty as Sunny's wife has some substance in her role while Katrina Kaif walks in and out. Can't blame her, she has nothing to do and in one scene where they celebrate Karan's first win, she is nowhere in the frame!!!
Sunny still packs a punch and this definitely is a better performance than FOOL AND FINAL but the one to get my attention is Aryan Vaid in a cameo. As a boxer with high ambitions, the ruthlessness with which he dumps his coach Baldev, is enacted with intent.
TARA RA RUM PUM did well with car racing as its backdrop; APNE has a fairly decent chance. For Rocky Balboa fans, you will see glimpses of Sylvester Stallone as Sunny takes on Luca.
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