Ali: F3 has great repeat value, you’ll go to theatres to rewatch a joke or a comedy scene you may have missed earlier

Actor, comedian Ali, who has been missing from action in mainstream cinema in the recent years, will have a full-length in director Anil Ravipudi’s upcoming comic caper, F3, that hits theatres on May 27. Ahead of the film’s release, the veteran shared the reason behind being choosy in his scripts and what could one expect from his character, Pala Baby, in F3.

“I have been occupied with the talk show on ETV (Alitho Saradaga) and did the sequel to Yamaleela on television, directed by SV Krishna Reddy. I took up the latter only because of the director; I owe him my career as a hero and I won’t think twice about anything he asks. Though I’m being offered a lot of small films recently, the directors don’t give us a clear picture of the story and it doesn’t leave a great aftertaste when we watch the final result. I prefer to be selective now,” Ali said.

The child actor-turned comedian shared that he has no reason to chase scripts or films now. “I will take up a film only if I like the character. There are so many newcomers to do a few roles. I don’t need to go behind directors or producers for opportunities any longer. They come to me now,” Ali, who also forayed into politics recently, joining the Jagan-led YSRCP party, stated.

With Pala Baby in F3, the actor is confident that audiences would get to see the good-ol’ Ali. “The character has potential and the technicians too enjoyed filming our portions on the set. My part, which has a screen time of over 45 minutes, is related to money-lending/loans and he has great respect towards women, you’ll know that in the climax. The producer, Shirish, had told me that he watched my segment over 35 times and erupted in laughter on every occasion,” he added.

Ali mentioned that it was great to work with an ensemble cast that displayed great competitive spirit while shooting. “Every character in the film has its own significance and the film has repeat value, you would want to go to theatres again for a joke or a scene you missed.” He felt director Anil Ravipudi is lucky to have a producer who trusted his ability to pull off a film with a huge cast.

“Generally, there’s some tension when a director needs to handle so many artistes on a set but Anil did it with ease and took care of everyone well. For someone as young as him, he has great temperament in controlling a set. I generally witnessed this capability among directors like EVV Satyanarayana, Dasari Narayana Rao in the previous generation,” Ali shared.

What could one expect from F3? “This is a complete paisa-vasool fare. If you buy a ticket for Rs 100, you’re sure to get entertainment worth three times the price.” Ali will next be seen in films like Ante Sundaraniki, Liger, Kushi, Oke Oka Jeevitham, a Tamil web series in addition to a Kannada film that stars Dhruva Sarja in the lead. He has reportedly signed a Nepali film too.