Interview 6

          The couple on the next table glance furtively at him. Further down a teenage pair is agog with excitement at sighting him. At the Sun 'N' Sand poolside coffee shop, pop crooner Lucky Ali's presence prompts warm attention. And why not? Very few have what Lucky Ali has the kind of voice you want to slip on like a mink coat. Egregiously handsome, he isn't unaware of his appeal. Ask him if he cares for the attention. He doesn't. He's busy nibbling at his burger and conversing with director Aditya Bhattacharya of 'Raakh' fame. Seems that a deal of some sort is being finalized. Offering a comma of a smile, Ali reveals, "I wanted Aditya to direct a music video for me. But Aditya wants me to act in his film. He's making an English film 'Avataar'. Frankly, I don't know a thing about acting. But Aditya assures me that I have to be myself. Well, that's all that I can ever be. So I've agreed to give it a try. Let's see what happens." Excitement is in the air. Lucky Ali has just flown in from New Zealand, where he stays with his family, to promote his latest album 'Aks'. 'Aks', meaning reflections is Lucky Ali's attempt at fondly reflecting on the memories of the past. The compositions are melodious with an infectious joie de vivre. "I guess, it reflects my inner state of happiness," he grins. 

Following closely on the heels of his hit numbers Ek pal ka jeena and Kyon chalti hai hawa from 'Kaho Naa...Pyaar Hai', 'Aks' has once again reiterated his position as India's top crooner. So 'Aks' is the topic of the day. Lucky says, "I had no preconceived ideas about 'Aks'. A whole lot of my friends got together. We worked on the compositions. 'Aks' is a culmination of nine months of hard work. I'm not trying to say anything in the album. They are just some of my favourite songs. Simple. The journey which started with 'Sunoh' and 'Sifar' has progressed with 'Aks'." 
Getting into a talkative mode, Ali continues, "Each song is a labour of love. Every song has a imagery associated with it. For instance, when I hear Tere mere saath, I think of wind blowing in my face. Kitni haseen zindagi celebrates our folk culture whereas aisi tanha is a song about how we are blindly aping the west. I had composed Pyaar ki duniya much before it was used in 'Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai'. I believe in sharing good things with friends. So when Rajesh Roshan approached me, I agreed." Lucky says that he enjoyed putting the album together. "There used to be brainstorming sessions galore. All the inputs from friends were nurtured lovingly. That's why you see so many credits for lyrics in the album." Talk is that he's planning to do a music video of one of the songs with Tabu. He even acknowledges her in his credits. He flashes a smile, "Ya, plans are on. But everything is very amorphous right now. Tabu is a family friend. She has great respect for my dad. I think she's a wonderful human being and a great actress. If the video works out, I'd be delighted. There's no particular reason for acknowledging her. I've mentioned all my friends. I've even mentioned my barber. " Tell him about Rakesh Mehra's film with the same name, 'Aks' and he deadpans. "I hope Rakesh doesn't believe I've stolen his title. I didn't even know about his film." Then shrugging his shoulders, he says, "Rakesh is my yaar, I'll speak to him. I'm sure he'll undertsand. " 

Talk about his hit numbers in 'Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai' and his acquamarine eyes glow. "I had come down from New Zealand to tie up a deal with Sony TV for 'Aks'. That's when I met Rakesh Roshan & Rajesh Roshan. I have known them for years. My father was actually the catalyst. He egged us to work together. And then Hrithik said, `Lucky bhai, you must sing for me.' I couldn't refuse him." Lucky Ali of course became an overnight singing sensation post 'Kaho Naa...Pyaar Hai'. He smiles, " The day after 'Kaho Naa... Pyar hai' was like any other normal day. Only now when I go out, people exclaim, "Lucky Ali!" when they see me." Tell him that rumor mongers insist that he wasn't happy with his deal with Rakesh Roshan and his heckles are raised. "This is the first time I'm hearing this. Who told you this? Where is the question of being unhappy? Ya, there was a discussion about royalty. But Rakesh said that he'd already sold the music rights. So there's was no question of royalty. Anyway, even Rakesh didn't know which way he was going then. He was pretty unsure about his film. But please, I was never upset with anyone." 

Irritation leaks into the conversation like drops of battery acid, "I know Raju (Rajesh Roshan) since donkeys' years. There was a time when my father and I couldn't see eye to eye. I would stomp out of the house. And Raju would take me to his recordings. He would make me play the guitar and pay me Rs 150 per sitting. That's how well I know him. We would have our fights then. Even while recording for 'Kaho Naa... Pyar Hai', we would storm out of the recording room. But there wasn't anything to it. We are pals. And nothing can change that. Even Rakesh Roshan is a gentle soul. Please get this right that I have no problems with the Roshans." But isn't a fact that he refused to sing again for Rajesh Roshan? He doesn't deny it. "See, 'Kaho Naa... Pyar Hai' was a special thing. And it turned out so well. But I don't want to repeat myself. As I said Raju is a dear friend. I'll always be there when he needs me. Tomorrow, if he comes up with something special, I'll definitely do it." He informs me that he has refused all offers to give playback after 'Kaho Naa... Pyar Hai'. "I was besieged by offers. Even now, there's an offer everyday. Believe me, I'm not playing hard to get. But I don't want to get into the playback rut. There's nothing different happening there. If I do something it has to be special. Otherwise there's no mazaa. Besides I find singing for myself more enjoyable. As a playback singer, there's no creative freedom." For a singer who's captured the heart of the nation, Lucky Ali has no training in music. Very early in life Lucky Ali set out on his own. The fact that he couldn't get along with his father was a catalyst. From acting in odd television serial to breeding horses in the US to selling carpets and even working in a Pondicherry oil rig, Ali has certainly come a long way. Music he says happened accidentally. 

Remind him about his earlier days and he gets nostalgic, " I'm a trained horseman, a trained oil rigger. I worked on my father's friend's farm in the US. I was the only Indian horseman amidst black Americans. I learnt patience while dealing with horses. But when I came back to India, I realized that we didn't have the same facilities or the money to breed horses as in the US. I took up various odd jobs to keep myself. Well, I've enjoyed my experiences. They've broadened my horizons. Which is why I feel that I can connect with people through my music." For an untrained singer, his vocal chords are awesome. "I was 13 when my mother brought me a guitar," he reminisces. "I've been playing and singing since then. Then one day I felt the need to sing in front of the mike. (Chuckles) But I started singing seriously for supper. And I never sopped. I felt I needed to make money so I took up singing seriously. Frankly, I never thought anyone would want to listen to me. Leave alone have three albums to my credit. Even today if I can make money doing legit trading, I would give up singing for ever." What? Give up all that fame and success just like that? Staring me straight in the eye, he says, " I guess I'm going through a volatile phase in my life. But frankly, all this fame and success doesn't mean anything to me. Yes, I do respect it. In the sense that I don't want to abuse my fame. But life is more important than showbiz. Fame and money are not my definition of success." Then what is? "To reach a stage whether there are no worries. I want to have peace of mind. Right now, there are too many issues that bother me. Probably, I'll have it in my next life," he says with a faraway look in his eyes. Quiz him about his philosophical nature and he says that he gets it from his religion. "I'm a student of Islam. And Islam teaches you that the greed of material things is forbidden. So I have it all and yet I'm away from it all." The conversation turns to his father the famous comedian Mehmood. And Lucky mentions that he has a lot to thank his father for. "Being my father's son wasn't easy. Doors slammed on me just because I was Mehmood's son. That's when I realized that there are no short cuts achievement. My father never helped with my career. He always said that if you can't achieve things on your own you aren't fit for them. My biggest award is my father. He'd inculcated the down-to-earth attitude in me. He'd say no matter how high you fly, keep your feet firmly planted on the ground. That's a lesson I've never forgotton." His second marriage to a woman half his age has been the talk of the town lately. But he refuses to comment on saying, "Marriage is sacred." And he adds, "I'm rather proud of my family. My family makes me tick," he smiles. 

Any regrets. He chuckles, "I wish I had made more money. I wish my religion allowed me to marry as many times as I wanted. Then I would have married all the women in the world. I love women. They're God's best creations. Imagine if there had been no women. The world would have been so dreary and gay." It's time to move on for Lucky Ali. As far as the music scene is concerned. "I had to first establish myself in my own land before I could venture out," he states. "I've joined hands once again with my producer, guitarist, distinguished music composer Mike McCleary, who also happens to be my brother-in-law. So the next step is to compose international music. Music for the world. Inshallah. "