Lucky Ali

Lucky Ali

Lucky Ali in Sept 2012
Background information
Birth name Maqsood Mahmood Ali
Born 19 September 1958
Mumbai, India
Genres Pop, world, folk
Occupation(s) Singer-songwriter, musician, composer, record producer, actor
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1962–present
Labels Crescendo Music, Sony, Universal Music, Zee Records, T-Series, Lucky Ali Entertainment
Website Official site
official blog

Lucky Ali (born 19 September 1958), born Maqsood Mahmood Ali, is an Indian singer songwriter, composer and actor. Lucky is best known for his soulful but strikingly simple ballad-style singing and melodious voice.

Biography

Lucky Ali is the second of the eight children of the popular Bollywood comedian, Mehmood. His mother Mahelaka, was part Bengali and part Pathan, the sister of a popular Indian actress of the 1960s – Meena Kumari. The Bollywood actress and dancer, Minoo Mumtaz, is his paternal aunt. He attended Manekji Cooper (Kindergarten) (Juhu), Bombay Scottish School in Mumbai, Hampton Court in Mussoorie, St. George's College, Mussoorie and the Bishop Cotton Boys' School, Bangalore.[1]

Ali is known to be a practicing Muslim. Ali states his favourite is the Quran being recited. he says that religion is but, a personal regimen that a spiritual seeker uses to connect to his Creator.[2]

His first wife was Meaghan Jane McCleary (a New Zealander), who has acted in the video O Sanam from his first album Sunoh. Ali has two children from his first wife – Ta'awwuz and Tasmia. His second wife is Inaya (Anahita-a parsi girl). He has two children from his second wife, Sara and Raiyan. He was married a third time in 2010. His third wife was a British model and former Miss England Kate Hallam[3] and the couple have a son named Dani[4]

Lucky and his father shared a tempestuous relationship. Mehmood was a very busy actor in 1960s and 70s, and remained away from home for his shoots. Once, around the age of four when Lucky first returned from Boarding school Mehmood and the entire family had come to receive Lucky after 10 months in Boarding school, at the airport, Lucky didn't recognize his father and but on seeing him said, "He's the film comedian Mehmood!" Lucky lived away from his family in a boarding school up in the foothills of the Himalayas in Mussoorie. Lucky's tryst with marijuana led Mehmood to write the script of the movie Dushman Duniya Ka (Enemy of the World).[5] The movie stars Ali's youngest brother, Manzoor. It is the story of the drug abuse of a young man called Lucky. In the end the young man kills his mother, destroys everything around him and is then killed by his father. Lucky differed with his father's vision and did not act in the movie. "I felt the story lacked hope," he said.[5] However he sang his first song for the film.

Lucky's wanderlust has led him to many places and to try different professions. He has bred horses, worked on an oil rig off the coast of Pondicherry in South India, cleaned and sold carpets and is a farmer with a strong opinion on organic methods in farming. He is best known for his music, singing and acting.

Personal albums

Lucky made his debut on the Indian music scene with the soulful album Sunoh which established him as a singer. This album won many of the top awards in Indian music, including the Best Pop Male Vocalist at the 1996 Screen Awards and the Channel V Viewers Choice Award in 1997. It stayed on the MTV Asia Charts in the top three for 60 weeks. The song O Sanam from Sunoh, launched his career and is considered by some to be one of the best indi-pop songs ever.[1] His next album, Sifar, was noted for its music, lyrics and vocals.

Lucky Ali is known for his distinctive music style and also for his untrained voice. His third album and fourth albums were Aks and Kabhi Aisa Lagta Hai, both of which were reasonably successful.

He is also known for contributing the song "Anjaani Raahon Mein" to the album "Meri Jaan Hindustan" which commemorated 50 years of Indian independence in the year 1997. The video was directed by Mani Shankar, and features him as a young rural man working in a foreign country, with a longing to go back home, and his joy of actually returning to a place he loved.. When asked about the video, he once said "The video of 'Anjaani Raahon Mein' was a beautiful story in itself. It was done straight from the heart and it is very special to me."

Playback singing career

Lucky Ali started his playback singing career with the song " Walking All Alone" from the film Ek Baap Chhe Bete in 1978. This film starred Mehmood and his six sons, including Lucky . Lucky's second song was "Nasha Nasha" from the film Dushman Duniya Ka which starred his brother Manzoor Ali in the lead role. The film was directed by their father Mahmood..

He has worked with composers like A.R Rahman, Vishal Bhardwaj, Vishal Shekhar, Mike McCleary, Prashanth Nair, Rajiv Bhalla, etc.

Acting career

Being the nephew of Meena Kumari, one of Indias' finest actresses to grace the Indian screen, and moreover being Mahmood's son, Lucky Ali did not lack the requisites to make his debut as an actor. He first appeared in Chote' Nawab ( The small Prince) 1962 Directed by Mahmood He acted in a few films in the 1970s and 1980s such as Yeh Hain Zindagi (1977) Hamare Tumhare (1979) and Shyam Benegal 's Trikaal (1985). He also acted in the television series Bharat Ek Khoj Directed by Shyam Benegal. After a long break from acting, he returned in Sanjay Gupta's Kaante (2002) where he acted along leading stars like legend Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Kumar Gaurav and Suniel Shetty. Lucky also acted in the TV serial Zara Hatke. In 2002, he acted in the Hindi musical Sur-The Melody of Life playing a complex role that earned him accolades as an actor.

Discography

Main article: Lucky Ali discography

His discography contains 6 studio albums, 6 compilations, 7 singles, 18 soundtracks, 2 concert tour and 2 other albums (as a composer).

Studio albums

Soundtrack

Videography

His videography contains 14 feature films as an actor, two television series as an actor and one feature film as a producer and director.

Filmography

Television series

  • Bharat Ek Khoj (1988)
  • Zara Hatke (2012)
  • Katha Sagar (Cinevistaas) (1986)

Read Also

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mala Kumar (25 September 2003). "Ali is a Maali at Home". Chennai, India: The Hindu. Retrieved 11 February 2008.
  2. ↑ http://www.filmfare.com/articles/lucky-ali-still-feeling-lucky-2489.html
  3. ↑ http://www.thisweekbangalore.com/?p=1119
  4. ↑ "Our son is God's most beautiful gift to us: Lucky Ali's wife – The Times of India". The Times of India.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Aparjita Ghosh. "Hitting the high notes". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2007. Retrieved 13 June 2007.
  6. ↑ "Lucky Ali makes Sandalwood debut". The Times of India. 9 November 2011.

References

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=228573323938360&set=vb.211964998932526&type=2&theater

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lucky Ali.