Lucky Ali

Biography

Ali is the second of the eight children of the popular Bollywood actor, 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 St. George's College, Mussoorie, Convent of Jesus and Mary, Hampton Court, Mussoorie, Manekji Cooper (Kindergarten) (Juhu), Bombay Scottish School in Mumbai, and the Bishop Cotton Boys' School, Bangalore.

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.

His first wife was Meaghan Jane McCleary (a New Zealander, now separated), 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). He has two children from his second wife, Sara and Raiyan. He was married a third time in 2010. His current wife is a British model and former beauty queen - Kate Elizabeth Hallam and the couple have a son named Dani Maqsood Ali.

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, 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). 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. However, he sang his first song for the film.

Best known for his music, singing and acting, Ali has also 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.

Personal albums

Ali 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. It was also nominated at 1997 MTV Video Music Awards 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."

Bollywood Career

Ali debuted in Bollywood with the song "Na Tum Jaano Na Hum", featured in Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai (2000). He received the 2001 Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer for this song. He was nominated for the Best Playback Singer Male for "Aa bhi jaa", featured in Sur in 48th Filmfare Awards but lost to Sonu Nigam. He has lent his voice to commercially successful films such as Sur (2003), Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008), Anjaana Anjaani (2010) and Tamasha (2015).

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 Mehmood..

He has worked with composers like A.R Rahman, Vishal Bhardwaj, Vishal-Shekhar, Mikey McCleary, Prashant Pillai, Rajiv Bhalla, etc.

Acting career

Being the nephew of Meena Kumari, one of India's finest actresses to grace the Indian screen, and moreover being Mehmood Ali'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) in 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), in which he acted alongside 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

Ali's discography contains 6 studio albums, 6 compilations, 7 singles, 19 soundtracks, 2 concert tour and 2 other albums (as a composer).

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.