Taking his own call
S. SHIVA KUMAR
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Like his father, Lucky Ali too doesn't care about his looks. Nevertheless, he's choosy about his music and the roles he plays
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ON HIS TERMS Lucky Ali: `My style and understanding of music is different from that of Rahman's or Kreem's. I prefer to find my own musical idioms.' Photo: K. Murali Kumar
He has a voice that many people feel soothes frayed nerves. The four-day stubble is just one indication of his laidback attitude. Lucky Ali, sunk deep in a comfortable settee at the trendy lounge bar, Taika is promoting his forthcoming film, Kasak. He doesn't have good things to say about the way the film was made but has a job to do. " I did not mean to sound too negative," he says at the end.
Ironically you're an accidental actor instead of an accidental singer.
(Laughs) I did start out as an actor when I was two and a half years old in my father's film, Chote Nawab. But then singing was a passion and my first album was Suno. I'm comfortable with both, but enjoy music better.
How did you discover your singing voice?
Must be in the toilet.
That's not enough because somebody has to tell you are good.
My father liked to listen to me sing and encouraged me. I've never had formal training though. I break all the rules. That's my specialty as far as music is concerned.
Performing in Sur must have been easy because you play a singer.
I liked the role and the people I worked with. The music was the icing on the cake.
Your role in Kasak seems to be complicated.
It is a complicated film too. It was interesting when the plot was narrated to me. I don't know how the film has turned out. I've not seen any of Rajeev's work before. The lesson I've learnt with this film is that things should be signed, sealed and delivered. I do not enjoy surprises on the sets.
Why do you say that?
The film might do well but I feel that when you narrate a role and the artiste accepts hoping that's what's going to happen and midway he starts wondering, `Hey, What am I doing here?'
Isn't that the creative license a director enjoys? I'm sure you do that with your music too.
I do it too, but I don't run away from the basic premise. When that happens it's something to worry about. It's a regular Bollywood story but the story kept changing as the shooting progressed. I guess like you said it's the director's license.
Do these things make you a reluctant performer?
Yes, you become reluctant. But whoever has seen the film has liked it. I haven't seen the film so I can't say how I feel. Anyway I don't like the films I work in. You always feel you could have done better. Kasak is purely Bollywood in the `80s. I'm talking about the approach.
The music CD of Kasak credits you with three songs out of six. Were you comfortable with someone else singing for you?
I was relieved. It's not as if I could not sing the other songs but it's good once in a while. I have sung for A.R. Rahman but that doesn't mean I have to sing for him all the time.
You did have some reservations about Rahman too.
Not really. There was a song I didn't like and told him so. We did a fantastic song together after that. The problem is that I don't like to work with other directors. I'm not saying I know everything. My style and understanding of music is different from that of Rahman's or Kreem's. I prefer to find my own musical idioms.
The strength in your father's acting was his uninhibitedness.
That's how I'm too. I'm not bothered about how I look and which my best profile is. My father taught me to just be. I have not done too much work but there are a lot of good roles coming up.
You grew up in a large family. You have two families too. What is the one thing you learnt from your father?
My father was quite surprised when I decided to marry again. He told me to be fair and maintain harmony. He told me it would get difficult when I had children. It's difficult to be a dad because there's so much attachment involved. I understand now what he meant. He came up the hard way and he expected the same from me. He had 27 cars but he wouldn't let me have one. I'm a product of whatever he inculcated in me.
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