Lucky Ali’s popular songs, like Sunoh, O Sanam, Gori Teri Aankhen Kahen, Na Tum Jano Na Hum (Kaho Na Pyaar Hai), Aa Bhi Ja (Sur) and Safarnama (Tamasha), to name a few, continue to strike a chord with people across all age groups. The singer is known not just for his simple ballad-style rendition, but also for his elusiveness in his personal life. He likes to stay away from the limelight and surfaces only when he has something significant to share with his audience. In an exclusive interview with Bombay Times, he talks about his love for Mumbai, staying away from the city and the changing ways of the music industry. Excerpts:

I am not a person who stays at one place for a very long time. I need to move around, I need to wander, otherwise, I feel like I am stagnating. But when dad (veteran actor Mehmood) passed away, I realized that I, too, wanted to go away from here, because I felt that I did not belong here. I felt like a stranger in the crowd. I knew many people here, yet I felt like a stranger. I felt the need to go. Sometimes I feel like that in Bengaluru, too. When I feel the energy is dissipated, then I feel like moving away from there as well. I love Mumbai. It is just that the responsibilities that my parents left for me, took me to Bengaluru. I do visit Mumbai often, and I still have my ‘Bombayness’ in me. I watch the sea, I love going to Carter Road and Nepean Sea Road and all those places that I grew up around. For me, it is like returning home. Mumbai is like a mother to me. So, yes, Mumbai is my maika and I am Mumbai’s Mai ka lal!

I remember I was 13 when they took me to Bengaluru, and I lived on the farm there. I missed Mumbai also because my mother would live here, so I would run away and come here. And three or four days later, they would catch me and take me back to Bengaluru. Mumbai is still a place that I love to come to. I like seeing life here. There are many places that are still the same and so is the vibe. There are so many endearing aspects of this city; all of Maharashtra, actually. Maharashtra is very special to me.

For me, music and compositions are an aspect of fun. It is not really my career, and it’s not like I have to make a living out of it. I have not studied music, so I’m humbled when I work with the people I work with. I also learn from them. I never used to know the ragas that I sang. It’s only now that I have understood a bit of it because of the people around me. My being in this industry gave me access to all kinds of music. The musicians and the talent that was there in the early days are incomparable. They were masters. There was so much to learn from them when they sang or composed a melody. I’m grateful that I was there watching greats like R D Burman, Madan Mohan ji or Lata ji and Asha ji.

I think it is just my bandwidth that makes me work the way I do. If music and singing were a commercial thing for me, I would continuously put out songs. Then I would have more numbers, too. But then, I would lose my soul on the way. It is very important for me to maintain that balance. I can’t exceed my ability. I want to be true to what I do. The music that I work on is not just about me alone, it is about the entirety of the team and everybody who is a part of the composition. I take responsibility for it, aur agar chappal padne hain toh mujhe hi padenge.

My new track Intezaar is the first song from our new compilation. It has been sitting around for the last two years because of the pandemic. It was a big wait. Mickey shifted to America and I was in Bengaluru. We communicated online. Finally, in the studio, I recorded some 20 different versions of the track. It was all about getting it just right. Mickey is a taskmaster. We don’t accept anything that we are not convinced about. For this song, we have recorded a video at my home in Bengaluru.

I’m in touch with all... and my loving children. We share a very warm understanding, we’re all mature and it’s all right! They have made me a better and more responsible man. I have beautiful children who carry the best of their parents and represent how we brought them up. I’m very peaceful and happy living with my children.

Kate Elizabeth Hallam, who got divorced from Lucky Ali last year, talks about her relationship with the singer
Debarati Sen (BOMBAY TIMES; September 25, 2019)

If you are a 90s’ kid, and a music lover, you’ve probably grown up listening to Lucky Ali’s iconic numbers like Ek Pal Ka Jeena, O Sanam, Aa Bhi Jaa and Hairat. However, it’s not just his soul-stirring music that made Lucky (aka Maqsood Ali, son of prominent comic actor Mehmood Ali) hit the headlines; his three marriages were also much talked about.

The singer’s last marriage — a court marriage in Bengaluru in 2010 — was to former Miss England, Kate Elizabeth Hallam, who is also an actress, presenter and bass guitarist. They have an eight-year-old son, Dani. Not many know that last year, the couple sought mutual divorce.

In an exclusive interview with Bombay Times, Kate said, “I don’t want to go into the details of why my marriage didn’t work out. Maqsood (Lucky) did his best as a man who was married for the third time and took on the responsibility of a third family. However, for a woman, it is hard when you get divided attention; that can be quite something to get used to and live with. My parents have been married for 50 years now, and are traditional in their beliefs. I guess, over the years, I realised that I want a man who is not divided between three families, but is focused on one family.”

When asked if the separation was amicable, she replied, “I separated from Maqsood in the end of 2017, as spiritually, I needed to find my way in life. After eight years of dividing my time between my parents in England, and then my husband and son in India, I needed to root down somewhere. And, deep down, I knew that my journey in this marriage had to come to an end.”

Kate said, “The only thing more unthinkable than leaving was staying, and the only thing more impossible than staying was leaving, but I knew that it was inevitable. People think women are foolish to enter a marriage where there are other wives, but that’s not the case. It takes a lot of inner strength to be in such a relationship and it taught me a lot, mentally and spiritually. I attained spiritual enlightenment from my experiences in India, it enhanced my faith.”

Kate and Lucky first met when she flew down to India in 2010 to do a South movie (Udayan Express), and Lucky had sung the soundtrack for it. “I was a foreigner in a new land, totally drawn by India’s beauty and mysticism... so, it felt right to get married when Maqsood proposed. At that point, I did not know who Lucky Ali was, or how popular he was in India,” she recalled.

Kate was fully aware of Lucky’s previous relationships. “I was aware that Maqsood had two other wives, but they were not living together at that time. Meaghan Jane McCleary (his first wife, who he married in 1996 ) was in New Zealand, while Anahita (his second wife, who he married in 2000 and divorced in 2011) lived in Mumbai,” she said, adding, “Anahita and Meaghan are strong women, who I respect a lot. They, too, have been in the same situation and we have that in common. We are amicable with each other.”

Talking about amicable relationships, she shares one with Lucky, too. “There is regular contact, as we want the best for our son, Dani. There is no animosity between us,” she said.

About eight-year-old Dani, the proud mother shared, “He is a caring and sensitive soul. He has a funny side to him, like his late grandfather Mehmood. Dani takes everything in his stride. Also, he gets a lot of love from both Maqsood and I, so he enjoys the best of both worlds.”

Since the divorce, Elizabeth has moved on and recently got engaged to music producer David Tickle. The couple also has a two-month-old son.

Dhaval Roy (DNA; December 30, 2017)

“Lucky, you’re special!” screamed a fan as the long-haired Indipop star stirred souls with his music at the TimeOut 72 festival. Lucky Ali’s response? “Everyone is special. Everyone is a hero or heroine of their own story,” inviting rah-rah from his fans. Earnest as that statement was, a conversation with him can tilt towards being wistful and moony, much like his music (think Mil Jaane Se Kabhi or Baadlon Ki Gehrai).

As we catch up with the singer backstage, Lucky talks about how he looks at music, his upcoming works, and why he’s slowing down when it comes to live performances.

Famed for albums like Sunoh, Aks, and Sifar, among others, the recluse, who moved to Bengaluru and became a farmer, says that it was the location that made him say yes to the gig. “I love coming to Goa. It always reminds me of my childhood when we used to come here as a family and spend a lot of time at the beaches, especially Calangute. I don’t do many concerts. I did this because I wanted to check out the sea as I have been going to the mountains a lot. It’s a nice time to be here and the boys (his sons) also wanted to come,” he explains. The singer adds, “I don’t see myself doing much more than I already am. I want to tone it down a bit and record and compose more.”

Gigs for travelling
For him, shows have become more about the travels and meeting people. Anyone who follows Lucky on social media will have read about his love for the mountains. “I like going to undiscovered places. The culture varies from hill to hill, so there is a lot of that to take in. Generally, there is simplicity and the will to keep a celebration going on in the people of the hills and the seas; it’s in between where a lot of our processes happen that...” he trails off, “The weather’s hot,” he laughs.

Slowing down
The singer admits that he is not as stoked about going on stage as much as he used to be. “I’ve come to a point where I’m glad I’ve done what I’ve done but I’m not this. I’ve enjoyed music as a serious hobby. I don’t look at it as a profession. I do it out of love. Whatever I have sung about, or still sing, means something to me,” he says, adding that he doesn’t perform more than 15 per cent of the tracks that he has composed. “I want to keep the set that we enjoy as a band,” says the man whose on-stage showmanship is his music. A vocalist when he’s on stage or in the recording studio, Lucky also plays the keyboard and guitar while he sings, anything that he can “get a nice sound out of.”

Collaborations are about vibes
For Lucky, sharing the stage and creating music with someone is all about vibes. “When people understand your vibe and what you’re trying to say through your music, and also very important are the headspace and the ‘heart’ space,” he offers. One such similarity of thought process led him to collaborate with Israeli musician Eliezer Botzer recently. “He does meaningful music. He was in India last month with his crew. We did some work together and found similarities in our ideas — he is very connected to the land like me,” he says, “We will release the tracks we recorded from Tel Aviv as I’m not comfortable releasing my music from here anymore because we are very dishonest,” Lucky says, referring to music corporations and not musicians making money. For that reason, he tells us that he will release songs on the internet for his fans.

‘I’m a farmer’
One of the reasons why one doesn’t see enough of Lucky live or releasing music is his farming. “I’m a farmer and I take that very seriously. Farming is ann (food) for me. Music is more about journeys, singing, and sharing your songs. When it’s festivals it’s enjoyable,” he says. Keeping him busy these days is growing vegetables. “I have a company with a friend. We released an app that bridges the gap between farmers and people who buy goods from them,” he added.

Upcoming works
Since he has decided to compose more, we ask if we can expect an album soon, considering the last one he dropped was Raastaman in 2011. Lucky says, “I don’t think I will release an album as such because it’s not the kind of time that you can release 10 tracks like you did earlier. I still need to decide if and how I want to release the new music, or if I will just play it at my gigs.” He has lent his voice to songs like Safarnama (Tamasha), Hairat (Anjaana Anjaani) and many more. However, composing for films is not in the scheme of things as of now. “I don’t understand what’s going on in cinema these days. Some day, I don’t know, I probably will,” he signs off.