Lucky Ali: Mumbai is my maika

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:
It seems like you have a love-hate relationship with Mumbai. Why did you decide to settle down in Bengaluru?
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 realised 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!

You spent many years in Mumbai when you were growing up. What are your fondest memories of the city?
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.
You have several popular Bollywood numbers to your credit, but lately, you have stayed away from Hindi film songs. Why?
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 RD Burman, Madan Mohan
ji or Lata
ji and Asha
ji.
You are known to take time off between songs and albums. Don’t you fear that out of sight would also be out of mind?
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.

Your brother-in-law, Mikey McCleary and you have worked together right from the beginning, including the tracks Sunoh and O Sanam. Recently you two collaborated on a series of singles, tell us more about them?
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 Bangalore.

You are known to be a private person, yet you have always been open about your personal life (Lucky married Meaghan Jane McCleary in 1996, Anahita in 2000 and Kate Elizabeth Hallam in 2010. He separated from Kate in 2017). What are the family dynamics like? What about your children? How has your relationship been with them?
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. Credit Source – https://ift.tt/AX4J5QG

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