You could call me a maverick. What you see is what you get. What is important to me is the now. If the now is uncomplicated, the future will take care of itself.

Often labelled the oldest newcomer in Bollywood, Lucky Ali has wandered into the worlds of playback singing, acting and stage shows, with fame following closely behind.

Jayashree Menon quizzes the affable son of yesteryear’s comedian, Mehmood, about his two wives, his passion for flying, the school he has started, and, lest we forget, his latest album

He is late. The 10 a.m. appointment stretches to noon. And then way past. The Verve team has been laying siege at a Juhu hotel since 9.30 a.m. The receptionist makes reassuring sounds. Yes, they have a reservation for him. Yes, they have received a message saying he’s on his way. Yes, he’ll be here any minute. Yes, he would have been here except that he is stuck in a traffic jam at Panvel. Finally, closer to 3 p.m., Lucky Ali arrives with wife and two angelic kids in tow. He has driven down from Bangalore. After unplanned detours at Shimoga for dinner and Palolim for lunch, he was indeed stuck in a traffic jam at Panvel.

He’s apologetic and ready to do anything – everything – to make amends.