Usha Uthup on superstitions, black saris and stage luck

Even legends have lucky charms and Usha Uthup isn’t shy to admit to it. “Yes, I do believe in that good luck factor,” she says with candour, when asked if there's anything special she wears before a concert. “I’m trying very hard to get out of that superstition, though,” she adds with a chuckle. “The last three shows we did were all terrific, and I wore different sarees for each.” Known for her iconic black Kanjivaram sarees and bold bindis, the singer recently started embracing colour. “Everyone, right from my house-help, to my daughter, keeps asking why I always wear black. So I started wearing colour, and guess what? The colours turned out to be lucky too!”But breaking old habits isn’t easy, she confesses. “I wore this lovely black and silver saree for a show in Bangalore, sometime back, and it was a huge success. So of course, I wanted to wear it again. Then I thought, no, I must stop tying myself down to this idea of luck being in a colour or an outfit. But I haven’t succeeded yet,” she admits with a grin. “I still believe certain things I wear and do, bring luck.”