Ever since singer Lucky Ali’s photo with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Derek O’Brien surfaced on the Internet, there’s been speculation about his entry into Indian politics. But setting the record straight, he tells us, “That was not the case. I am not joining politics. Nobody asks me, and everybody just assumes. I don’t have a spokesperson. I speak for myself.”

Ali continues, “My work is music based. It has got nothing to do with political ideology. I want to stay far away from politics. But I like to meet people who, I feel, deserve my respect. I am always there to encourage a good effort on behalf of anybody who does things that bring changes to people’s lives and I want to support that morally.”

Last month, Ali, along with friend, actor Nafisa Ali, was photographed meeting O’Brien, and that set rumour mills abuzz. The 63-year-old says politics is not his cup of tea, “Being an active member in a political environment is just not me. I am happy to sing for people and not for an ideology. I don’t think that way. For me, it would be biting off more than I can chew. So, I would never do that. Mera jo kaam hai, main wahi karunga, aur uske alawa main aur kuch karna bhi nahin chahta.”

Meanwhile, Ali has recently returned from a trip to London, UK. He was there for a concert and to meet his son after a long time, as he couldn’t travel due to the ongoing pandemic. “I hadn’t seen my son for a while. I spent time with him. But I had a concert in India, so I had to come back. But I am so grateful to God that I could go and meet him,” says the Na Tum Jano Na Hum (Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai; 2000) singer.

For many of us, the latter half of 2020 was buzzing with melody as Lucky Ali revisited O Sanam, and the rendition went viral. In 2021, too, an entire generation of fans has been waiting for him to announce new tracks. In a chat, he reveals his plan for this year.

After a year of uncertainties, Lucky feels certain about investing more time in being ‘atmanirbhar.’ “I was in Goa for a while, to be around the sea. But now it’s time to go back to Bengaluru. Besides making and releasing new music, I’ll be seriously involved in agriculture this year because I learnt my lesson well from last year. God forbid if anything similar happens this year, it’ll be difficult for us to fend for ourselves,” he says.

Speaking about the music community, Lucky says, “This will probably be a year of change. People are talking about aggregating talent, based on experience. That should work well. There may also be diversification of talent now. Artistes who had been singing and doing a particular kind of music, will express themselves more and may even surprise us.”

Lucky will be releasing some singles this year. He says, “Sayyaah is already out, more will follow. Mikey, my brother-in-law, and I had been working on some numbers. We have songs written by various lyricists from across India, including me. Now, we are taking them on the road. Having said that, I’m not in control of my music talent. It is managed by able youngsters and thankfully, their vision aligns with mine. My funda of less is more works with them. I hope I can live up to their expectations.”

Lucky’s son will be soon launched as a musician. He says, “My son better come out with his songs; it is high time now. He is creating something based on his observation, which should be good. He keeps it a secret from me. I bet he has complained about me somewhere in the song (laughs).”