Adnan Sami Credits Asha Bhosle And India For Musical Rebirth

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India-West News Desk

NEW DELHI – Celebrated singer and composer Adnan Sami, who acquired Indian citizenship in 2016, spoke about the professional challenges he faced in Pakistan that eventually led him to shift base to India. In a recent interview with India TV, Sami revealed how a lack of industry support for his music in 1998 pushed him to make a pivotal career move.

“After the songs I released in 1998, people in the Pakistani music industry thought I was finished,” Sami said, explaining how the lack of marketing for his album left it virtually unheard. “Nobody even knew when the album came out—it just vanished.” He added that while he was in Canada at the time, he believed the neglect was intentional.

A turning point came through a conversation with legendary Indian singer Asha Bhosle, who had collaborated with Sami on the now-iconic “Kabhi To Nazar Milao.” Sharing his struggles and desire to record in London, Sami said Bhosle instead encouraged him to come to Mumbai. “If you really want to do something new, come to Mumbai,” she told him. “This is the capital of Hindi music. Whatever gets popular here spreads to the rest of the world.”

Following her advice, Sami moved to Mumbai and received support from Bhosle and her family, including a stay arranged at RD Burman’s home. Songs that had gone unnoticed in Pakistan—such as “Kabhi To Nazar Milao,” “Bheegi Bheegi Raaton Mein,” and “Lift Karadey”—found new life and massive success in India, thanks to proper promotion and enthusiastic audiences.

“The way people embraced me and loved me—I could’ve never imagined it,” he said, crediting India’s deep appreciation for music as a key reason for his resurgence.

Sami contrasted this with the treatment of artists in Pakistan, where he said even legendary performers like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Mehdi Hassan, and Reshma struggled despite their talent. He attributed the difficulties not to public apathy, but to a systemic lack of support from authorities.

Addressing a long-circulated rumor, Sami denied the existence of a 2005 letter allegedly written by then-Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to his father. “There was no truth to that letter,” he clarified. “In 2005, I was still a Pakistani citizen.” He added that his move to India was not financially motivated and came with significant hurdles. “I had to start from scratch. I faced a lot of problems as a Pakistani citizen, especially in a public profession,” he noted, adding that he had even sought help from Musharraf at the time.

Sami applied for Indian citizenship in 2015 and was granted it the following year. In 2024, he was honored with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award.