While the music industry is rejoicing in a new agreement that states that 25% of PPL’s (Phonographic Performance Limited; an organisation that collects and disseminates royalty for musicians) collections will now be shared with Indian singers who are part of the Indian Singers Rights Association (ISRA), 

Lucky Ali remains unaffected by the development. “I don’t care,” says the singer, adding, “I have not got my royalties for so many years, so it’s not going to make much of a difference if it happens now. When our sweat drips while performing on stage and people give us recognition, that’s our fee.”

The 64-year-old adds that such developments don’t make any difference to artistes in the independent music space and are only for those associated with music labels. “As an independent musician, you don’t care about all these things because you are responsible for what you do. If you make a fault, you suffer. If something works, you enjoy the benefits,” explains Ali, who released a song, Virtuality, in collaboration with Israeli artiste Eliezer Cohen Botzer recently.

Ask if not releasing music frequently hints at retirement from music and Ali shuts the speculation down, saying, “Music has to be created in yaksui (peaceful state of mind). You can’t force it. Music apne hisaab se banta hai... That’s why, with me, there is no pressure like, ‘Oh I have to make a song’. You don’t get good results until you are happy.”

Talking of retirement, the O Sanam (Sunoh; 1996) hitmaker quips, “I am retired right from the beginning. Whatever I’m doing is for the love of music. I have other responsibilities to fulfil and things to look after, including my farm, which keeps me very occupied.”