As Luck(y) would have it: Lucky Ali

You haven't released a commercial album in many years. Why have you been off the radar?
My last commercial album came out years ago when I was still bound to mainstream music companies like Sony BMG. But once that got over, I started releasing music online directly for the audience. The site allowed people to download whatever they liked. And anyway, I was never fully on the radar so to speak. For me, it's a space that I visit once in a while, do the kind of work that I enjoy and get out. I'm not trying to make it difficult for anyone, I take a backseat to do other things like crafts and composition.

Your acting stint didn't last too long and you haven't acted ever since. Did Bollywood leave a bad taste?
Actually my first Bollywood movie came much earlier. I debuted in a movie from my father's time called Chote Nawab. So I was always there in the industry but just never active. If the people associated with a project are good and if it sounds good, I do it. I never looked at acting as a career. I don't have a career. Music, singing and acting are all just hobbies.

You have always been surrounded by Bollywood actors. Your father (Mehmood) and aunt (Meena Kumari) were big stars, so in your early years you must have got easy-access to movies and all the limelight that follows.
Never. Firstly, I was in boarding school. My father kept us away from all this. We were not allowed to mix with cinema people or go to any parties. I don't do the same with my children because they are very independent. I don't encourage or discourage it. If they have a question about music, I'll answer but I don't get into the salha part of anything.

What do you think about the Indian pop music scenario? Has it changed in the last 18 years when you debuted with your first album?
When I started out, I was only making music that I liked. I integrated sounds and techniques that I was aware of. I made music that felt good so you can say it was 'feel-good' music. But honestly, there is no Indian scenario as such even today. There aren't too many forums and platforms for artistes. Someone is rapping, someone is doing melody because that's safe, someone will do whatever is trendy and so on.

With auto-tuning and remixing old songs, a lot has changed. Do you approve of this?
I quite enjoy using technology in music. If you can make a bad song better, why not? With remix, sometimes a song may not have worked during its time but when someone rediscovers it and releases it 20 years later it can work beautifully. Like that song kya surat hai, kya surat hai (Bombay Vikings).

What are your favourite tracks from your father's movies?
I like songs from Chote Nawab, Shabnam, Bhoot Bangla – in fact those should be remixed some day. My father was very melodious himself. He taught me that melody was the king. If your songs aren't melodious, they are industrial.

Urdu words are being pushed into all kinds of songs, from pop to Bollywood to remixes. Sometimes it sounds too forced yet they grow into big hits. Being a Muslim yourself, you haven't attempted such a thing. What is your take on it?
Music doesn't bring me closer to God, it brings me closer to people. Prayer is what connects me to God. Those who use these phrases or words use it because it gives them some sort of poetic license. Recently I heard a song that went bismil bismil bulbul-e-bismil (Haider), the lyrics were by Gulzar. I didn't even understand it. I was like 'uncle, you don't have to do this at this age!'

You will perform at SulaFest 2015 for the first time in your career, how different are Bollywood concerts from these music festivals?
I've performed at four to five music festivals in the past. Bollywood shows are connected to glamour, they aren't into art and are kitschy. Concerts on the other hand are connected to the form. My musicians are also excited about playing here since the energy you get from the crowd is so fulfilling.

A few years ago you had mentioned that you were working on 'houses you can eat'. Completely green houses that grow enough to feed the household. How has that project turned out?
It was a fascinating idea but today people don't have the time to say 'hello' to their own children. But I still like to grow plants and vegetables. I've grown mushrooms that weigh 5 kilos each, strawberries and planted around 500 trees around my house in Bangalore.

Lucky Ali will be performing on 8th February at SulaFest'15 at 4.15pm.