From Bike Thief to Baba: The Unforgettable Characters of Ali in Puri’s Films

In Puri Jagannadh’s films, alongside powerful dialogues and heroism, comedian Ali’s characters are also memorable. Puri has created some special roles for Ali in his films, and the comedy tracks associated with these characters have worked well for the films. In this sequence, in ‘Double iSmart‘, Puri has given Ali a special role as ‘Boka’, a quirky character. The dialogues related to Ali’s character in the trailer have captured the audience’s attention. Now, let’s look at some of the unique roles Ali has played in Puri’s past films.

Bike Thief (Idiot)

In the film ‘Idiot‘, a collaboration between Ravi Teja and Puri Jagannadh, which was a sensation at its time, Ali appears as a character who steals bikes. He confuses the police officer Jeeva while transporting a sack of sand from Hyderabad to Bidar on a bike. He repeatedly tells the police that he is taking the sand to spread in Bidar, leaving them puzzled about why he is taking it so far. The audience and the police remain confused until it is finally revealed that Ali himself is committing the bike thefts.

Sketch Artist (Super)

In ‘Super‘, directed by Puri Jagannadh starring Nagarjuna, Ali plays the role of John Abraham, a skilled artist who can quickly sketch anyone he sees. On one occasion, he sees the hero whom the police are searching for, leading the police to follow him. The lie detector scene involving Brahmanandam and Ali in this context is unforgettable.

Beggar (Pokiri)

In ‘Pokiri‘, another successful collaboration between Mahesh Babu and Puri, Ali plays a beggar. His interactions with Brahmanandam, who hurts his ego, lead to hilarious scenes involving a group of beggars following him. The comedy scenes between Ali and Brahmanandam played a significant role in the film’s success.

Himalaya Baba (Desamuduru)

In ‘Desamuduru‘, starring Allu Arjun, Ali appears as a Baba performing penance in the Himalayas. He gradually reveals why he became a Baba, creating excitement among the audience. Every scene feels like a climax, eliciting laughter. The scenes related to this character still have a following among the audience.

Goli (Devudu Chesina Manushulu)

In this film, also a collaboration between Ravi Teja and Puri, Ali plays an unusual character named Goli, who excessively worships as the son of the goddess Lakshmi. Although Lakshmi Devi (Kovai Sarala) tries to help him by giving him opportunities, his foolishness turns them into comedic situations. Despite the film being a disaster at the box office, Ali’s performance as Goli was highly entertaining.

Nachimi (Chirutha)

In ‘Chirutha‘, the debut film of Mega Power Star Ram Charan, Ali plays a peculiar role as Nachimi. His character and attire brought copious laughter to the audience. This role stood out distinctly from his previous characters. Even today, if Ali appears on television as Nachimi, it guarantees laughter.

Boka (Double iSmart)

In the upcoming ‘Double iSmart’, featuring Ram Pothineni and directed by Puri, Ali will appear as Boka, a character resembling a forest man. His performance in the trailer has already won over the audience, and posts suggest that this role will definitely be a highlight. Ali recently revealed in an interview how this character came about: during the shooting of ‘Billa’ in Malaysia, he demonstrated to Prabhas what it would be like if a chimpanzee were their manager, which entertained everyone for about an hour and a half. After sharing this idea over the phone with Puri, it was decided to incorporate this track into one of the films. Thus, the character of Boka from the Amazon forest was developed, and Ali completed shooting for this role in just three days.