Call it friendship or beyond, Ali and Pawan Kalyan have been together for more than 25 years now.  "Pawan Kalyan garu has been doing films for the past 20 years.  But I have known him for about 25 years.  Even before he entered films, I was getting to interact with him regularly in Chennai and Hyderabad whenever I wanted to meet with Chiranjeevi garu.  He would be the person through whom I used to get Chiranjeevi garu's appointment," Ali says.

"He was basically a very shy person.  Those days, I and others would advise him during informal chats to shed his introvertive behaviour," he says.

Asked about the criticisms that Pawan Kalyan faces as a politician, Ali says, "He is now a popular figure everywhere but for Muslim countries.  Who will the critics talk about if not about him?  If they comment against a lesser mortal, nobody is going to care.  So, these critics throw stones at him.

When someone comments against such a big personality, those who admire him will definitely react in their own way.  What is wrong in that?  But Pawan Kalyan garu never reacts to the criticisms thrown around (by his detractors).  If he reacts, his reaction will become a big issue."