‘Apne 2’ shelved after Dharmendra’s Death

The death of veteran actor Dharmendra has plunged Bollywood and millions of fans into mourning.

Bollywood’s ‘He-Man’ passed away on November 24, 2025, at the age of 89, following an illness.

He enjoyed a career that spanned over six decades. However, even at the time of his death, Dharmendra had several projects in the works.

One of these was Anil Sharma’s Apne 2, a planned sequel to the director’s blockbuster, Apne (2007).

Apne featured the actor alongside his sons, Sunny and Bobby Deol.

Following Dharmendra’s death, Anil announced that Apne 2 had been shelved.

In a statement, he said: “Without Dharam Ji, it’s impossible to make the sequel.

“Everything was on track, and the script was ready, but he left us.

“Some dreams remain unfulfilled. Without him, it’s not possible!”

The filmmaker, who worked with the Sholay star in seven films, also recalled the first time he met Dharmendra.

At the time, Anil was an assistant director on the sets of The Burning Train (1980).

The Gadar director said: “As an 18-year-old, I remember going to him with the call sheet.

“He put his hand on my head and said, ‘Work hard’.

“When I narrated Hukumat, he approved the story in ten minutes.

“He had such an amazing understanding of films, and the movie did amazing in everyone’s hearts.

“We were shooting for Hukumat on the outskirts of Ranikhet.

“We used to go on set at 6 am, and before the unit reached, Dharam Ji would already be there, jogging.

“We had crowds of thousands who came just to see him, and we used to change locations and his hotels to manage the fans.

“His connection with them was amazing.”

Speaking about their final meeting, Anil continued:

“I met him in early October, and he said, ‘Anil, bring me a good story. I want to do a good film. The camera is my beloved, and it’s missing me’.”

After he passed away, several celebrities, including Asha Parekh, Shah Rukh Khan, Ameesha Patel, and Preity Zinta paid tribute to Dharmendra.

His last film to be released in his lifetime was Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya (2024), which also starred Shahid Kapoor and Kriti Sanon.

Dharmendra will appear posthumously in Ikkis, scheduled to be released on December 25, 2025.

This will be his final film appearance, marking the end of a remarkable career of an incredible artist.