Lived in the US after Mehmood’s second marriage: ‘Stepmom didn’t want us around’

Lucky Ali was born to superstar Mehmood and his first wife, Madhu Kumari. The couple had three kids before parting ways after a few years of marriage. In an old interaction with The Times of India, Lucky shared that after his parents’ divorce, he lived in the US as his stepmother, Mehmood’s second wife, Tracy Ali, didn’t want them around. He said, “We grew up in the US after my dad’s second marriage. While dad did not want us to be influenced by the Western culture, my stepmom did not want us around. I felt lost as a child. Dad was always away.”

Lucky Ali left home after fight with father

While Mehmood wanted his son to become an actor, Lucky Ali’s heart was elsewhere. In a conversation with Radio Nasha, composer Rajesh Roshan, who had worked with Mehmood extensively, recalled how Lucky Ali once left home after a fight with his father. Rajesh said, “Lucky Ali was like family. He and his father would fight a lot. Mehmood was a short-tempered person and he wouldn’t listen to anyone. Lucky once came and told me, ‘I have left home and I am not going back.’ He asked me where to go. He was with his guitar. I told him to come with me. He was my friend.” He added, “He played guitar in my songs, along with other guitarists. At that time, he worked a lot with me.”

Lucky Ali left his father Mehmood’s home after fight. (Pic: Express Archive, Lucky Ali/FB)

Lucky Ali’s carpet cleaning business

In order to avoid his father’s wish of making him an actor, Lucky went to great lengths. He even started a carpet cleaning business. In an interaction with fans on ShareChat and Moj, the musician reminisced about his younger days when he decided to take this unusual route to escape his father’s expectations. “My father wanted me to act, but the times had changed drastically,” said Ali.

‘My father didn’t help me’

In an old interaction with Lehren Retro, Lucky Ali shared that although his father never hesitated to give him advice or show him the right path, he never helped him monetarily. He said, “My father didn’t help me to shape up my career. He encouraged me. He spoke to me about it and taught me things that I needed to know and if you want to call that help then, ‘Yeah my father helped me.’ But when it comes to monetary help, he believed that I should find a way myself because these were my choices and he helped me make those choices.”

Mehmood made a film on Lucky Ali’s addiction

Ali also admitted to consuming marijuana, which led Mehmood to write the script of his film Dushman Duniya Ka. The movie even starred Ali’s youngest brother, Manzoor. However, Ali revealed in an old interview that his father’s decision to make a film about his habit deeply hurt him. “It felt really bad. I still take marijuana on and off, but I am not a drug addict. I told dad about my habit and tried to make him understand, but he had his own views. I don’t think he understood me,” he said.

Lucky Ali’s breakthrough in Bollywood

After working as an assistant director and backup musician, Lucky Ali made his debut in Indian music with his album Sunoh in 1996. This was rather late, as Ali was already 37 at the time. He eventually made his Bollywood breakthrough with two hit tracks in the 2000 film Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai, composed by Rajesh Roshan.

He fulfilled his father’s wish of becoming an actor by starring in mainstream films like Kaante and Sur, both released in 2002. However, while Mehmood was always associated with mainstream cinema, Lucky Ali leaned towards parallel cinema. He even worked with Shyam Benegal in Trikaal before moving into mainstream cinema with Sur.

Over the next decade, he sang many memorable songs for his own albums as well as for several films. His last outing as an actor was in the 2021 film Murder at Teesri Manzil 302. As a singer, his last Bollywood work was for the 2015 film Tamasha, after which he distanced himself from the industry.

Lucky Ali left Mumbai after Mehmood’s death

In a 2017 interview with Pollywood Box Office, Lucky Ali explained why he decided to step away from Bollywood. He said, “Is jagah mein badtameezi bahut hai. (This place has a lot of disrespect). Bollywood has changed. The movies which are being made these days are lacking inspiration and I think there is nothing to learn from such movies.”

He also admitted that the loss of his father pushed him to move away from Mumbai, as he felt like a stranger in the city. He told TOI, “When dad passed away, I realised that I, too, wanted to go away from here, because I felt that I did not belong here. I felt like a stranger in the crowd. I knew many people here, yet I felt like a stranger.”

‘People who worked with my dad took it out on me’

Lucky Ali revealed that many people who had worked with his father were afraid of Mehmood and vented that frustration on him once they realised he was Mehmood’s son. He told Hindustan Times, “They took it out all on me. They were like what do you do, are you an actor? Are you a singer? Why do you want to want to do a role in English and things like that,” he said.

Went on to work on an oil rig after films

Even while acting in films, Lucky didn’t want to compromise on the kind of roles he was offered. When he didn’t get what he wanted, he ran away to work on an oil rig off the coast of Puducherry. Recalling the time, he said, when he wasn’t doing the “illegal job of painting the inside of the oil tanks,” he would play his “guitar on the helipad.” He added, “That was the time, when I realised I wanted to do this. Not being on the oil rig (laughs), but music. I really loved that feeling and being in that space, and then I think that’s it.”

The tale of three marriages

After leaving Mumbai, Ali eventually shifted to his father’s farm near Bangalore. While the actor stayed away from the limelight, his personal life often became a topic of discussion. He told ETimes, “Some are suited for one marriage. I don’t think I am suited for one marriage. I move around a lot. I am a free spirit. I get lonely. I cannot cheat. What happens when you are faced with temptations? It’s better to marry. Be honest to your wife and love your wives.”

Lucky Ali married three times. His first marriage was to Meaghan Jane McCleary, a New Zealander, with whom he had two children, Ta’awwuz and Tasmiyah. However, even before the wedding, Ali had made it clear that he would marry again. He said, “I always knew I’d have more than one wife. In fact I did tell Meaghan about it when we got married. She thought I was joking.”

He later married Anahita, a Parsi who converted to Islam and became Inaya. They had two children — Sara and Raiyan. Speaking about his faith, he once said, “In my space, in the faith I follow, I have the permission to marry four times. But Allah also says if you feel you cannot deal with them equitably, then marry once.” It has been reported that Ali eventually divorced both his wives.

In 2010, he married British model and former beauty queen Kate Elizabeth Hallam. They welcomed a son, Dani Maqsood Ali, but their marriage ended in divorce in 2017.