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Critic's Rating: 3.5
Nawazuddin’s class act makes Freaky Ali likeable

Story:Ali (Nawazuddin) has a way with balls; cricket and golf. This chawl-bred sports prodigy of sorts becomes a local legend when his talent is discovered. However, there are also those who want to run his reputation to the ground.


Review: Ali is an orphan abandoned at a dargah and is raised by Sulabha (Seema Biswas), a Maharashtrian lady whom he fondly refers to as his mum. He is happy to sell underwear to earn a living. But his friend Maqsood (Arbaaz) tells him that he can double his earning if he becomes an extortionist. So Ali joins him. He knows that if his aai ever finds out, she will be heartbroken.

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Ali’s world turns topsy-turvy when he discovers that he can hit sixers better than Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli. Furthermore, on one of his misadventures to a golf field to extort money from a businessman, Ali discovers his own putting skills. From here, the sadak chhaap turns professional golfer. Predictably, he snatches a win from a five-time champion.

Freaky Ali, inspired by Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore, is a sweet film. The treatment is light-hearted, the dialogue pedestrian but very funny in parts and the film has its heart in the Bollywood space; meaning, often the ridiculous does better than the sublime. The soul and the star of the film is Nawazuddin, who can do no wrong – whether he is happy, sad, freaky or straight, he’s a superstar in his own right. He gets every nuance correct. What’s more, he even gets a girl Megha (Amy Jackson) to romance. His attempt at song and dance and self-deprecating humour is to be applauded.

While the first hour of this film is time pass, the second half loses steam because of its repetitive narrative style. Also, you know at the start that this Ali is as strong as Mohammad Ali and will win all tournaments. The bit in the story about getting sport mixed with the anti-social elements is banal, but the film doesn’t take itself too seriously. So, you shouldn’t either. Watch it for Nawaz.

Director Sohail Khan, who shares writing credits too, takes a lot of cinematic liberties. Even in a Utopian state, it is hard to digest street children running amuck golf greens. Or having goondas, double up as caddies. Like they say, this happens only in our desi cinema.

In-depth Analysis

Our overall critic’s rating is not an average of the sub scores below.

Direction:
3.5/5
Dialogues:
3.5/5
Screenplay:
3.0/5
Music:
3.0/5
Visual appeal:
3.0/5
Summary / Analysis

Spoiler alert! Please do not read the following plot summary if you have not seen the film.
Plot Summary

Ali (Nawaz) is an extortion debt collector for the local goon along with Maqsood (Arbaaz). His fate turns one day, when they go to a golf course to collect extortion, after waiting for many hours for a man to give him money. Ali confronts the man who tells him to wait while he finishes the hole. Ali claims the hole is easy, so the man asks him to show it. Ali putts the ball in just one ace for he has a gifted natural swing, This not only surprises the man but his caddy as well who knows him. What follows is an inspirational story of a simple extortion debt collector to a golfing sensation, and along the way of him becoming a champion, Ali beats all odds and meets his dream girl, Megha (Amy.)
The film starts with Ali selling underwear. Though he tries hard, it becomes difficult for him to eke out a living from this. He is worried because he wants the best for his mother. Here it is revealed that Ali is a Muslim boy who was left behind at durgah. Seema Biswas who is a Hindu lady finds him and raises him like her own son.

Ali has a close friend called Maqsood who tells him they work for underworld guy-danger bhai. So both of them start extorting from people.
One day some slum children tell Ali that he must play cricket for them.

Ali hits four sixes in a row and the whole mohalla is thrilled.

Ali now knows that he has a special gift.

Next he focuses on golf and starts winning tournaments. However Maqsood and Danger Bhai(Nikitin Dheer) try to get Ali to lose a game because they want to make betting money for bade bhai(Jackie Shroff). The local golf champion Jas Arora also hates Nawaz because of his prowess for the game and also the fact that Jas' manager Megha(Amy) finds herself drawn to Ali.

Spoiler Alert ahead:
One day Jas invites Ali for a drink and just before leaving at night he takes Ali to a lonely spot and breaks his hand. Ali's hand is in a cast and everyone fears that he may not be able to play. But Ali's mother is confident her son will attempt to play. She even knits a sweater for him with his name written on it.

Hours before the tournament, Ali cuts his cast off and comes on to the field. He can barely hold the club but he still manages to hit.

Jas has broken Ali's hand but he cannot break Ali's resolve. He wins against all odds and becomes a legend.

Even bade bhai(Jackie) changes his own bets to back Ali and wins big money.
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Trivia & Goofs

TRIVIA

1. Sunny Leone was signed for the film but was later replaced by Amy Jackson

2. The film was titled 'Ali' at the time of its launch

Twitter Reaction
Nawazuddin Siddiqui's 'Freaky Ali' is one of the first mainstream film on golf and garnered positive reviews from the critics. Also starring Amy Jackson, Arbaaz Khan and Jas Arora, the film has been directed by Sohail Khan. However, check out what the moviegoers said about the film on Twitter...

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FAQs
  1. What is the release date of 'Freaky Ali'?
    Release date of Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Arbaaz Khan starrer 'Freaky Ali' is 2016-09-09.
  2. Who are the actors in 'Freaky Ali'?
    'Freaky Ali' star cast includes Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Arbaaz Khan, Amy Jackson and Jas Arora.
  3. Who is the director of 'Freaky Ali'?
    'Freaky Ali' is directed by Sohail Khan.
  4. What is Genre of 'Freaky Ali'?
    'Freaky Ali' belongs to 'Comedy, Drama, Sport' genre.
  5. In Which Languages is 'Freaky Ali' releasing?
    'Freaky Ali' is releasing in Hindi.