Review: 'Freaky Ali' is an outdated underdog drama

Sohail Khan's Freaky Ali has passion, drama and wit in abundance, but it's also predictable and exaggerated.
Review: 'Freaky Ali' is an outdated underdog drama

Film: Freaky Ali

Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Arbaaz Khan, Amy Jackson, Jas Arora

Director: Sohail Khan

Rating:

Who doesn't love an underdog story? Especially when it's a sports drama that turns a street hoodlum into a national golf champion. Sohail Khan's Freaky Ali has passion, drama and wit in abundance, but it's also predictable and exaggerated. The complete lack of depth and imagination turns a promising film into a bit of an eyesore.

Ali (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) sells underwear for a living. A poor man with big dreams and ambitions, Ali is frustrated with life and after he's sacked from his job and his marriage alliance is broken. He turns to the world of crime, extorting people for money, along with fellow crook Maqsood (Arbaaz Khan). One day, he goes to a golf club and makes fun of the sport. When he's challenged to play the sport himself, Ali displays incredible talent and catches the eye of Kishan Lal (Asif Basra), who trains him to become a professional golfer. As Ali rises in the rich man's sport, his rivalry with the reigning champion Vikram Rathore (Jas Arora) intensifies. How Ali takes on the arrogant Vikram, and battles against all odds to prove himself in Golf, makes for the rest of the story.

On the surface, the idea of an rags-to-riches story revolving around golf is appealing. But the execution is so shallow that it does gross injustice to the entire concept, turning Freaky Ali into just another commercial drama.

The director hardly explores the culture shock for a street hoodlum to play among the country's elite, at lavish golf clubs. Instead, Nawaz is limited to wisecracks and one-liners. He even manages to impress club manager Megha (Amy Jackson), who's so bowled over by his talent that she becomes his girlfriend. It seems Amy Jackson is in the film only to cheer for Nawaz and look pretty. The second half is so predictable that it even puts the most stereotypical sports dramas to shame. Arbaaz Khan, who's courted by bookies, does a U-turn faster than our Indian politicians and ends up cheering for Nawaz. The entire sequence looks so fake that it's laughable. Nawaz also defies science, logic and medicine in his bid to become a Golf champion.

The music and comedy (at times) is the only thing that saves this film. Nawazuddin is the saving grace as he plays Ali with admirable ease. He's witty, affable and is a delight to watch. Arbaaz Khan disappoints in a poorly written role and Nikitin Dheer displays just one emotion in an unintentionally funny, negative role. Jackie Shroff makes a mockery of himself in a brief appearance.

Though entertaining in parts, Freaky Ali is an outdated film with a shallow script and predictable climax. A few witty lines, good music and Nawazuddin keep you in your seats but as a sports drama -- it's a major disappointment.

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