Tour of Karachi

                                    A STROKE OF LUCKY ALI (Exclusive)

           Karachi- July 5, 2001. "I love my first wife and love her even more for accepting my second wife the way she has." But Ali admits that it isn't easy to maintain two wives and finds it a grave responsibility. "I hope that I can fulfill my duties adequately, but if I cant, I won't be ashamed to admit that I have bitten off more than I can chew". The first thing that strikes you when you see the unshaven, unkempt Lucky Ali with his disarming smile and gentle, hazel eyes, is sans airs. Your impression is confirmed after a long chat with him, when you realize that he is a down-to-earth person and somewhat religious as well. With much of both his father and mother in him, Ali states matter-of-factly, "At the risk of sounding puritanical I must admit that my parents have inculcated sound values in me. My mother made me aware of my Creator and my father encouraged me to pray. Also, both of them are very talented individuals and my father has always motivated me to push aside all obstacles and aim for the sky." Growing up far away from the film industry - in a boarding school in the Himalayas or on their farm in Bangalore, Ali claims never to have been 'in his father's shadows.' And yet the fact that he is Mehmood's son, has definitely provided him with opportunities on the silver screen that may not have come his way otherwise. For one thing, he acted in his father's film, Chotay Nawab at the age of two, playing the title character in his younger days. "I acted as chotay nawab and later, in real life, I had a white horse that was named 'Chotay Nawab'! I love horses - they have always been a part of my childhood, and I have them even today." Having read somewhere that Ali has a farm in New Zealand I quizzed him about it. "You know, it's so funny. I was planting onions in my backyard in New Zealand and a journalist from India called me up and asked what I was doing. I said that I was planting onions and that some how turned into a story about my having a farm!" Ali spends six almost months of the year in New Zealand, although this time, because of his hectic schedule, he hasn't been there in over four months and feels it will be another four before he will be able to take out the time. However, he might be shooting a film there early next year. In spite of having acted in films every now and then, Ali regards himself as being "on the periphery" in the film industry. "Films were far removed from my work - I was into pop music - and then suddenly after years I met an old friend, Sanjay Dutt, who asked if I'd do a song for his film. I agreed and the next thing he wanted to know was if I'd act! I didn't think he was serious at first, but after doing the song, I found that the director was on my case, so I said 'yes' for a lark! Basically, I am a non-actor." Modesty indeed from an actor whose film, Trikal won a national film festival award, a documentary film festival award and an award in the Sydney film festival! Amongst the other movies that he has starred in, Yehi hai zindagi and Chotay Nawab both were silver jubilee films. It proved to be lucky for Ali's fans that he decided to remain on the periphery of the film industry rather than make it his main livelihood, providing him more time to concentrate on music. "I was very frustrated with Indian cinema as I couldn't identify with the singing-dancing romantic leads I was offered and wanted to concentrate on alternative cinema, which doesn't pay well. So instead I started travelling, cleaned carpets, worked on an oil rig and generally widened my experience. And all along I had my guitar with me and continued singing. Then one fine day I went and recorded a song, did the music for it, came up with an album and asked for it to be released! Everyone was skeptical about it as they felt the music was nothing like we hear in the market and wouldn't be appreciated. But that's exactly why it became popular and is still selling to date - in fact the price of the cassettes has been hiked up." Lucky Ali finds the audience in Pakistan and India very similar and feels that he is at home when he comes here. "It's not like when I went to Cuba recently, where I was totally out of place and had to keep worrying about what I was eating. Here I feel I am among relatives." During his three-day stay in Lahore, Ali had visited Gowal mandi - and loved it. "I ate everything they fed me and particularly remember the delicious chapli kebab! Our host, a young shopkeeper, had such tremendous knowledge of his trade." Both Lahore and the little he has seen of Karachi so far remind Ali of Delhi. "The houses are similar, they have the same type of courtyards and terraces and staircases." Thrilled with the reception he received in Lahore for his earlier concert he says, "My only regret is that I might not have given them what they were expecting. I had to sing live to taped music, which I didn't like, but it was my first performance in Pakistan and the organizers, the Peerzada family, thought it was wise to do that. I trust their judgement - they are doing a fantastic job globally - and appreciate their forthrightness. In Karachi, I will be performing with my band, Inshallah." Looking forward to his Karachi show which also features Hadiqa Kiyani, he admits that he has never heard the crooner or met her. In fact, the only Pakistani artists familiar to him that he mentions, are Ali Haider, who he met a couple of times in Bombay: "That was a time when I was not even thinking of music or becoming a singer," and Adnan Sami Khan. He has never sung with any Pakistani singer, although both he and Adnan Sami are keen to work together. "I like him - he is a sweet guy. But the way our schedules are, I doubt very much if performing together could be on the cards soon." His favourite Pakistani singer though - a 1000 marks for guesses - is Pathanay Khan! The reason, "He comes from my community, my mother's side of the family, that is." Punctuating his sentences with references to the Holy Quran and teachings of the Prophet, Ali mentions during the course of his interview that he has seen UFOs many times. He says he has never tried to dwell into the matter, but has accepted the phenomena as something that has been mentioned in the Quran as well - that God is the Lord of the worlds and that one will see things that one won't understand. He says they give off two different types of energies - some leaving him feeling good and some that disturb him a lot. Ali's first wife, Masooma, (a New Zealander), and his son and daughter are also accompanying him on this trip, while his second wife is in Bangalore. He spoke about his relationship with his two wives with surprisingly uninhibited candour and it struck me that he was still trying to come to grips with his marital relationships. He claims never to have been in love with either of his wives until he got married. He knew Masooma since his childhood "but we were never friends" and one day, he heard her, a missionary's daughter, speak about Islam, and decided then and there that she would be his wife! "I married her out of respect for her, and today I love her deeply." Ali's second wife, Inaya, "is a bright girl" whom he married a year ago. She was also close to Islam and he felt a "surge of protection towards her - I wanted to take care of her." He insists that he didn't marry her because he had fallen in love with her - "Love doesn't just happen. It grows. I love my first wife and love her even more for accepting my second wife the way she has." But he admits that it isn't easy to maintain two wives and that he finds it a grave responsibility. "I hope that I can fulfill my duties adequately, but if I can't, I won't be ashamed to admit that I have bitten off more than I can chew." As Lucky Ali is the first to admit, he is still maturing as a person. But he seems to have a level head on his shoulders and one is sure he will work out life's little secrets all by himself.