The biggest announcement of the year was made last week: the entire Deol brigade of heroes are coming together for Deepak Mukut and Anil Sharma’s “Apne 2”.

The humane drama will have Dharmendra sharing screen space with his sons Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol yet again and his grandson Karan Deol for the first time ever. While this film is a prestigious moment that will go down in the history of the film industry, it’s also a huge celebration for the family as Dharam ji celebrates his 85th birthday today and it also marks his sixth decade as a Hindi film hero.

Filmmaker Anil Sharma who has had a long-standing relationship with the veteran superstar shared a throwback picture from the sets of their previous film “Apne”. The picture has the four main men behind the super successful family drama engaged in a conversation during the shoot of the film in Punjab.

Walking down memory lane, Anil shares, “This association has always been really positive. I am fortunate to be the only the director who has worked with all the three generations of Deols. Dharam ji is a fantastic human being and the farmer who came to Bollywood still resides in him. He is a very grounded man who’s not only a great actor but one of the best humans from the industry. It is Dharam Ji’s 85th birthday so I wish him all the best and hope he retains his infectious energy forever.”

Producer Deepak Mukut, who’s behind the casting coup, also says, “Working with Dharam ji is going to be an experience of a lifetime and an absolute honour for me. Apne 2 will be the first-ever film which will bring all the three generation of Deols together and we are extremely excited to begin this project. Dharam ji has always been a hero who has spread smiles and on his birthday, I wish he continues to do that forever.”

“Apne 2” is presented by Soham Rockstar Entertainment, produced by Deepak Mukut and directed by Anil Sharma. The film will go on floors around March 2021 and is being planned for a big Diwali release next year.