A Life Less Ordinary: Lucky Ali On Travel, Curiosity, And The Philosophy That Guides Him

Last Updated:September 19, 2025, 15:10 IST

Lucky Ali reflects on curiosity, contentment, and the philosophy of living a simple life as he turns 66 and embarks on a new India tour.

Lucky Ali stresses simplicity, curiosity, and contentment.

There’s a rare quietude about Lucky Ali. Even as his music continues to drift across generations, carrying nostalgia for some and discovery for others, he himself remains rooted in simplicity, curiosity, and an almost cinematic way of seeing life.

With one of his most extensive India tours underway, the singer reflects on success, memory, and what it means to live well. In this exclusive conversation with News18, Lucky Ali speaks less like a performer and more like a traveller – still searching, still listening, and still holding space for wonder.

You’ve always been known to take the road less travelled – both in music and in life. What personal philosophy guides you today?

My philosophy hasn’t really changed much. I like to keep my heart open, listen to different perspectives, and not hold on to preconceived ideas. I draw from all kinds of information – pictorial, cinematic, lyrical, musical. I think more from a cinematic lens than an academic one, and within cinema there’s an art of subtlety – sometimes you don’t need to say what’s already evident.

I’ve always been adventurous. I love to travel, discover new places, and stay curious. That curiosity has been my constant quest: wanting to know what I don’t know. Of course, sometimes you stumble on things you’d rather not explore further, but that’s part of the journey. I’m deeply intrigued by subjects like astronomy and space; those are the things I find myself drawn to.

How has your idea of “success” evolved over the years?

I don’t really know what success is in a conventional sense. For me, success is being at peace, being able to rest well at night. In art, I value thought processes and creative outlooks, not the everyday politics of power and conflict – that feels futile. Ultimately, the king and the pawn end up in the same box.

People chase wealth, thinking it will give them freedom, but money often brings more grief than joy. You don’t need excess; you just need enough. If you have a family, food on the table, and a place to rest – that, to me, is real success.

Your songs are still being discovered by younger audiences. Beyond the music, what do you think connects you to different generations?

Music is a language of emotion. When something is expressed truthfully and with feeling, it finds a home in hearts that are open to receive it, regardless of age or time.

Younger listeners find nostalgia in your music even though they didn’t grow up with it. What does that say to you about memory and inheritance across generations?

I think it’s an umbilical memory. Many young listeners weren’t even born when my music first

came out, but their parents were. I often meet people who say, ‘My mother or father used to play your songs.’ The connection is tied to those family memories – travels, gatherings, the songs they grew up hearing. Not necessarily mine alone, but the music that became part of their shared experiences.

When people look back at your journey, beyond the music, what do you hope they take away from your story?

There are some words I once sang that capture it well: ‘Nahi rakhta dil mein – reh jaaun sabke dil mein dil ko basakar. Ek aisi niyat hai meri; ho jaye toh bhi razi hoon, kho jaaun toh main baaki hoon, yun samajhta hoon.’ The songs themselves often hold the answers.

As you embark on this extensive India tour with JetAlive by JetSynthesys, what do you hope audiences experience, beyond nostalgia?

Every journey has a beginning and an end. This tour feels like it may be my last large-scale public connection with people. I don’t see myself continuing this for too long. For almost three decades, I’ve carried music and words to audiences, and now I want this to be a memorable meeting – a chance to give and also to take back the constant love I’ve received from them.

Lucky Ali’s India tour begins in Delhi on November 2nd. Tickets for the shows are available on BookMyShow for the following cities: Delhi (2nd Nov), Kolkata (22nd Nov), Bengaluru (6th Dec), Hyderabad (13th Dec), Ahmedabad (20th Dec), Mumbai (11th Jan), and Pune (17th Jan).

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Author: News18