Apnas Review: Slick British-Asian Crime Drama Blends Family Drama with Genre Thrills
A substantial portion of this film's budget was clearly allocated to its opening sequences, which are set at an opulent British-Pakistani wedding. A gleaming Lamborghini maneuvers around the venue like a polished serpent, with voiceover narration helpfully explaining that many guests have rented their luxury vehicles for the day to maintain appearances.
Beyond these lavish introductory scenes, Apnas adopts a more minimalist and straightforward approach. The film hints at reinventing the British crime drama genre but ultimately follows many of its established conventions, from shotgun-wielding criminals to gangsters in garages feeding stacks of cash into money counting machines.
Manchester's Criminal Underworld
James Greaney portrays Awais, a wide-eyed British Asian accountant based in Manchester who embarks on a dangerous new career as a money "washer" within his uncle's drug empire. He launders illicit funds using cryptocurrency, navigating the treacherous waters of organized crime.
Awais genuinely embodies the stereotype of a mild-mannered accountant, creating an intriguing contrast with his cousin Majid, also known as MK, played by Asim Ashraf. MK lives extravagantly, eliminating rivals and flaunting his drug dealer lifestyle, much to the dismay of his father, who conceals his criminal network behind the respectable facade of a prominent Pakistani politician.
Family Dynamics and Identity Struggles
Ultimately, Apnas's resources fall somewhat short of its aspirations to create a sprawling crime epic. The film displays considerable confidence and boldness, featuring a compelling family drama that explores Awais's struggles with his identity as a second-generation British Asian.
His father, Aslam, portrayed by Nitin Ganatra, works as a taxi driver with ambitious expectations for his children. He pressures Awais to achieve financial success while arranging what he considers a suitable marriage for his daughter. Her journal entries provide the film's voiceover narration, though this element proves to be a weaker aspect of the production, partly because her character lacks the depth of the pages on which she writes her diary.
Apnas premieres in UK and Irish cinemas starting March 20, offering audiences a glimpse into Manchester's criminal underworld through the lens of British-Asian experiences.
