From delivering chartbusters like Lift Karadey, Tera Chehra, and Kabhi Toh Nazar Milao to carving a niche as a singer, composer, and performer, Adnan Sami has witnessed the evolution of music across generations. Known for being one of the fastest keyboard players in the world, he has seen the industry transition from cassettes and CDs, to streaming platforms and now the era of reels and viral culture. Despite the changing landscape, Adnan believes the essence of music remains the same.

Talking about how virality has become the buzzword in today’s music industry, Adnan says the phenomenon itself is not new. “You see, terminology keeps changing. What you call virality today was called a superhit in the past. What you call an item song today was earlier known as a cabaret song. So, the words change, but the principles remain the same,” he says, adding that what has truly changed is the audience’s patience span.

“The concept of longevity has changed because people have changed. Earlier, audiences were far more patient. Look at cinema – Sholay actually flopped in its first couple of weeks before slowly picking up, and the rest is history. Today, your fate is sealed over a weekend. And this isn’t just happening in our field. It’s happening everywhere. In sports, you started with five-day Test cricket, then came One Day Internationals, then T20s, and now even 10-over formats. Eventually, they’ll probably just do a toss and say, ‘Right, you won!’” he laughs.

While he admits to using AI tools in music production, Adnan, who recently dropped his single, Lipstick, is clear that technology can only assist and not replace originality. “I use AI extensively as an assistant. Things that would earlier take hours, sometimes even days, can now be done much faster with AI-based tools. I’m not talking about composing melodies – I mean the technical embellishments around the music. Sometimes, when I compose a song, I first create a rough demo using AI tools just to get an idea of how it might sound. But I always come back to the human element in the end. Because ultimately, the nucleus has to be yours. The DNA has to be yours. There’s no escaping that. The soul of the music must belong to you. AI can help enhance things, but it cannot replace the core creative identity.”

Drawing parallels with the larger world, Adnan Sami shares, “It’s the same with food – you have fast food versus gourmet dining. The world has started moving psychologically very fast. But the funny thing is, while everything around us has accelerated, it still takes 365 days for the earth to go around the sun. That hasn’t changed. Which means the speed is psychological.”

Adnan also points out how songs themselves have become shorter over the years. “Tera Chehra was around seven minutes long, and even the video was about five minutes. Today, songs are usually three-and-a-half to four minutes at best. Earlier, songs had three or four antaras. I was working in that format for many years. One day, I was collaborating with some younger musicians, and after finishing the track, I asked, ‘Where’s the second antara?’ They looked at me in shock and said, ‘Second antara?’ That’s when I realized how much things had changed.”

The musician, however, refuses to believe that shorter music means easier music. In fact, he insists the challenge today is even greater. “Every profession has its own challenges. A television actor might be looked down upon, but the truth is that the television actor probably reaches far more people because he enters people’s homes every single day. The same thing happens in music. A classical musician may say, ‘My performance lasts 30 minutes, while pop artistes finish in three or four minutes.’ Then there’s the advertising composer whose music lasts only 30 seconds, and he has to hook you in just those few seconds. So, you can’t say making music in any format is easy today. In fact, it has become more difficult.”

Unexpected and unfamiliar is the road Adnan Sami has taken with his latest single, Lipstick. Visually, the singer has embraced a quirky avatar, complete with kohled eyes, tattoos, and heavy jewellery. He has turned in a different direction sonically as well, blending his songs with spiritual and Sufi-inspired elements. In a candid conversation with mid-day, Sami reflects on his new chapter, where he feels ready to showcase his artistic evolution through his music.

Excerpts from the interview.

Absolutely! It would have been easy for me to simply play myself sitting behind a piano, but that felt expected. I wanted to do something rooted and playful. The song has upbeat energy, but I’ve blended it with traditional elements — Rajasthani vocals, folk textures, and Sufi touches. I wanted the visuals to reflect that too. Dressing up as a slightly eccentric, Sufi-like character with rings, surma, and tattoos was great fun.

I realized lipsticks cut across class, culture, and age. Whether you’re rich or poor, young or old, there’s something about putting on lipstick that gives you confidence. Even my daughter loves experimenting with it, and so do grandmothers. Then came the superstition angle. We’ve all grown up with strange beliefs — don’t cut nails at night, black cat crossing your path [is a bad omen]. These things exist in every culture. We’re not mocking these beliefs. We’re holding up a mirror and saying, ‘This is who we are.’

I’ve been evolving both personally and musically. For a long time, I wanted to express that evolution, but I wasn’t able to because people want to slot you into one image. I was constantly seen as that piano-playing singer; there’s more to me than that. I didn’t want to remain trapped creatively. I consciously stepped away — now there’s a spiritual and Sufi-inspired direction in my music, and I finally feel ready to express it. I’m working on a series of songs that sound different from anything I’ve done before.

Completely. Earlier, films had five or eight lip-sync songs. Cinema today has become more realistic, so songs are often part of the background score. At the same time, independent music is making a comeback because of streaming platforms. Earlier, every singer wanted to become a playback singer. Today, that concept is changing. You can build your own audience independently. 

In many ways, yes. Everybody has a fair shot now. Earlier, access was controlled by a handful of gatekeepers. Today, anyone can upload music and reach audiences directly.

In the video, Adnan Sami wanted to depict the earthy and vibrant nature of India’s small towns. He explained, “It would’ve been easy to make a flashy urban video with luxury cars, glamorous styling, and tiny outfits. But that’s not the majority of India. I wanted something proudly desi.”

For an artiste like Adnan Sami, who has witnessed the music industry’s transition from cassettes and CDs to digital playlists and viral streaming hits, the evolution has been dramatic. The singer believes technology and streaming platforms have completely transformed how music is created, distributed and consumed — making the industry more democratic, but also far more competitive. Reflecting on the shift, Sami says the old system relied heavily on record labels and physical sales.

“Earlier, everything used to be hard sales — cassettes, CDs and all of that. Today, that’s no longer the case. The whole format has shifted to streaming,” he says.

Sami points out that earlier, only a handful of music companies controlled access to the industry because they alone had the infrastructure to manufacture and distribute music physically. “Because there used to be physical sales, only record labels and companies were able to release music. Artistes were completely reliant on them to get their music out there,” he explains.

Today, however, he feels the gates have opened for everyone. “All you have to do is upload your song and it becomes accessible to the public. Earlier, friends abroad would tell me, ‘Arre, gaana hamare yahan pahuncha hi nahi hai.’ That was the reality during the cassette days. Now, the moment a song releases, it is available everywhere instantly,” he says.

While streaming has made music more accessible, Sami believes it has also made survival tougher for artistes because of the sheer volume of content online. “Because technology has become so accessible now, everybody who wants to give it a shot can do so. That has advantages, but also disadvantages because now you literally have millions of releases every single day. You need to work really hard to keep your head above water,” he adds.

Talking about his new single, Lipstick, Sami says, “I’ve always found lipstick to be one of the most interesting cosmetics. Girls, when they want to quickly leave home, will just put on lipstick and run. My eight-year-old daughter wears it and grandmothers wear it too. There’s something psychologically empowering about it — once you wear it, it gives you the confidence that you are ready to face the world.”

I am the son of a diplomat. So, growing up, we were told to never blow our own trumpet and be humble. But now we are living in a time when everyone is marketing themselves: ‘Maine yeh kar liya, maine woh kar liya’. Earlier, if I felt sharing my opinion on something would be slightly controversial, I would just stay quiet, because main jhooth nahin bol sakta. But log khamoshi ko meri kamzori samajhne lagey, unhe lagne laga, ‘yeh to backfoot pe hai’. Hence, I started speaking the language people understood, because the trolls needed to be told off.

When you’re born into a family of a certain faith or social status, it’s not your choice. You inherit it. But when you convert to another religion, you study the philosophy of that belief. So, it’s an informed decision. Making India my home didn’t come on a platter. I could’ve become a German, British, Canadian or US citizen. I chose India because of conviction. And that’s something Pakistan cannot stand. I too grew up amid the same propaganda in Pakistan, until I came here and witnessed things myself. If someone says I moved to India for money, they should know that I left assets worth crores when I moved to India. When I stand at any Indian airport and look at the flag, I tell myself: ‘My kids better remember what their father went through to get that flag, because it’s something that didn’t come on a platter’. I live with those emotions. I have every right to love my India, my country.

People evolve. I realized a few years ago that the good old cliche that ‘the truth will set you free’ is so apt. Hum poori zindagi darr ke rehne mein guzaar dete hain. But when you realize ki zindagi ka sabse bada khauf sirf maut hai, aapko aur kisi baat ka khauf nahin hona chahiye. Your destiny is written by the Almighty, so why have the fear of anyone else? I have seen so much in life that I don’t care about the consequences anymore.

Asha ji is like a mother to me. My relationship with her is how a normal mother-son bond is. We love each other and we fight too. There’s no one as brilliant and versatile as her. She’s 91 and is still so magical. Lata Mangeshkar (late singer) once said, ‘Jo gaane main gaa sakti hoon, woh Asha gaa sakti hai. Par jo gaane Asha gaati hai, woh main nahin gaa sakti’.

Pakistani musicians such as Mehdi Hasan, Farida Khanum, Ghulam Ali, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan etc. were working in India for many decades. But when I and some other Pakistani musicians (such as Atif Aslam, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Ali Zafar) came in the scene, there was a difference between them and me. I was living in India and working here, while they would come, work and leave. So, this section that had an issue (with outsiders) comprised artistes who were frustrated and were barely working. They should have realized that India was such a big market for music that people from across the world would want to work here. But the reason for not allowing Pakistani artistes in India now is absolutely valid. There’s nothing like art has no boundaries. No matter who you are, you belong somewhere. Else, artistes wouldn’t have been issued passports!

Yes, very much. She is 8 and plays the piano. I don’t teach her. She has a teacher who comes in, as learning music needs a certain kind of discipline. She’s also passionate about singing and writing poetry.

I always wanted to send her to a school where she could just be herself, and was not seen as a celeb child. I want her to have a normal childhood. That’s why I try to keep her away from all the filmi things, because this is not the time for it. When I enter the house, I am just baba who makes her a sandwich. That’s my way of keeping her guarded. Baaki sab upar waale ke haath mein hai.

There is a lot to know about Adnan Sami, beyond his music. The gifted musician has been through life-changing experiences, personally and in his musical journey. In a heart-to-heart, he tells us what keeps him on the beat in love, marriage and music.

There is a belief that to have a hit (song) is one of the easiest things, but to follow it up is a challenge. For your first hit, you have a whole lifetime, as no one knows you and nor is anyone waiting for it. But to follow it up with another, the pressure mounts up. You need to do that in six months at least, and in today’s times, even less. So, it is important to reinvent as that’s the key to longevity, more so today, as the world is moving at a fast pace. You have to reinvent and let go of your baggage.

Everyone has their own philosophy of how they want to approach their career, to each his own. Some people think that they need to churn out something every week, else they will become irrelevant. I have been stingy on that front; I have never felt the need to go into factory mode in creating music. I know my music and art... I am a pianist, composer, singer (Indian classical, Western and Jazz), and instead of quantity, I want a diverse body of work. I want to contribute to the field of music, whether it is filmi, commercial, pop music or any other genre. Whatever I will do... jaan laga doonga usme.

Today, our cinema has become far more real, but the Indian audience needs their musical fix. So, there is music in our movies, but often in the backdrop. Earlier, we had 8-9 songs, today, there are about two-three songs, or sometimes no songs. I am fine with that, but what I have an issue with is that I feel in the garb of trying to be safe, musicians apni creativity ko kill kar rahe hai. Play it safe, but at least create something new. What you are doing right now is rehashing.

Every generation has the right to have certain songs that they can call their own and we need to give them that. I say that songs like Chura Liya Hai Tumne and Baahon Mein Chale Aao define my time. When aaj ka banda says Chura Liya Hai is mine, I say excuse me... that’s not yours, that’s mine.

I’ve had an eventful life in that department. I’ve unfortunately had two failed marriages and sometimes, due to such disappointments, you can become cynical and bitter. But I have never been bitter about love. I am an incurable romantic and a big believer in love. My music kept me sane through it all. Music was my psychiatrist, my go-to place. When it comes to marriage, I had my parents as role models. Even today, my mother is as much in love with my father (who has passed away), if not more. I was yearning for that kind of love and that’s why I didn’t give up.

Tooothpaste is how singer Adnan Sami feels music is being treated today. Similar songs being churned out back to back in the name of hits and the number of views on a song becoming a benchmark of success are things he is miffed by, to say the least.

Sami, who is busy with a new set of singles and live shows, tells us, “I have to enjoy what I am doing, that’s why I am choosy about what I do. I’m very passionately against the concept of reducing the art of music or cinema to something as crass as just data. It’s art. You can’t equate it to, say, a soap, and be like, ‘Okay, jasmine is working, let’s make more of that’. That’s exactly what’s going on. South ki filmein chal rahi hain, toh South ki films banao. Comedy chal raha hai, comedy banao... Art is not toothpaste that you use and spit out.”

The Padma Shri awardee, 51, adds that the quest to hit a certain number of views on a song is one of the things that has curbed creativity, which has led to a dearth of meaningful songs. “We have an audience thirsty for entertainment. If you start distributing sh*t to them... It’s like making them starve and then giving them a dry piece of celery. Log toh toot padenge na uspe? If you give them biryani, they will never look at celery!” he reasons.

Citing the examples of filmmakers Christopher Nolan, Yash Chopra and music composer R D Burman, he goes on to say, “Whatever they made, they made well. In today’s time, executives and music companies have discovered a new toy — data. It’s there for guidance, don’t let it dictate you.”

“Executives are not artistes. In the past, they would not argue with creative decisions. Now, they have stumbled upon something they can have a counter argument with. That’s why ultimately, we are not coming out with stuff that has any kind of long-term impact. Everybody needs to be allowed to do their jobs. Don’t interfere, and certainly not in the name of data,” the Lift Kara De singer concludes.

For singer Adnan Sami, being conferred with Padma Shri has been an “unparalleled honour”. Sami describes the moment as “ethereal” and elaborates, “When I was sitting there (Rashtrapati Bhavan) and waiting for the ceremony to begin, I was absorbing the environment. I had a flashback of everything I’ve been through in my life as a person and artiste.”

The 50-year-old shares that the honour has “inspired and rejuvenated” him “with more enthusiasm”. He adds, “When somebody praises you, it makes you want to do even better. It’s a beautiful blessing that I’ve been given the award at this age. I want to believe that there’s another life in front of me and I feel the responsibility to do and share more.”

In 2016, Sami was granted Indian citizenship by the government. And so, this honour is even more special. “The most important thing to take from this is that art is above anything else,” says the Bhar Do Jholi Meri (Bajrangi Bhaijaan; 2016) singer, adding, “I started my journey in London and then moved to Portugal and then came to India. Who would have thought that I would get such a prestigious honour! It goes to show that if you believe in anything, remain focused and work hard, you will never go unnoticed.”

Another memory that Sami will cherish from the day is his four-year-old daughter Medina posing before the TV screen when Sami received the award. “She watched it live and made sure that she gets photographed in front of the TV while I was getting the award. I’m happy that we got that moment on camera,” he ends with a laugh.

The last two years have been extremely challenging, admits Adnan Sami. Watching people lose their loved ones and hearing and reading about so many deaths made him realise “the value of human life”.

The musician shares, “I am just so grateful that I am fine and my family is fine. I am like, ‘Thank God, I made it till here’. Not a lot of people did. So many people have left the world and that too way too young. I am happy that I have made it alive till here.”

The 50-year-old singer adds, “Today more than anything else, I am happy to be amid my family and loved ones. I am also happy that my fans are alright, because I consider them my extended family. It is wonderful to celebrate life,” shares the singer, who received the Padma Shri in 2020.

He goes on to add, “I am seeing life in a different way now, as opposed to how I used to a couple of years ago. I have a newfound respect for life and I plan on living it to the fullest.”

Another change, which he feels the current Coronavirus crisis has brought about in us, is that it has made us compassionate towards one another and forced us to prioritise our health.

“Today when we call each other, our first instinct is to enquire about each other’s health, no matter who we speak to. This would never have happened before. We were just taking our lives for granted. This is the new norm. Frankly speaking, this should always have been there. Our health should have always been our top priority. But we ended up taking it for granted, it became third, fourth or fifth on our priority list. Today, it has become paramount. It is sad that it took such a calamity to make us do the right thing, finally,” ends the Bhar Do Jholi Meri (Bajrangi Bhaijaan, 2015) singer.

For musician Adnan Sami, his birthday falling on the same date as India’s Independence Day is not a coincidence. The Lahore-born singer firmly believes that he was always meant to be an Indian citizen and is grateful to share his birthday with his country.

“Today, I’m a firm believer that there’s no such thing as a coincidence. My destiny was written in India. My future and my dharmabhoomi were all connected to India. The love I have for India was so rooted from my childhood that it was like the angels were telling me. ‘You need to shift your focus over there’. I can’t write off this part of my life as mere coincidence. It’s far deeper than that,” he shares.

Sami, who turns 50 this year, says, “The way God created my destiny, it was almost as if it was planned that I was supposed to be an Indian. It was my destiny to be an Indian. It was unfortunate that the Partition happened, but God had his own way of telling me that I belong here. It’s like my birthday was the biggest hint that I belonged to India.”

The musician may have got his Indian citizenship only in 2016, but he admits that his relationship with India started the day he landed in the country for the first time in 1999 for work. “That was a start of an incredible love affair, and it continues, and reflects in my music and in everything I do. I’m a romantic at heart, I write love songs. And the ultimate love story I have is with India,” he muses.

However, Sami can never forget the struggle he had to face in order to get through the citizenship process and the fact that his application got rejected for technical reasons.

He recalls, “I never lost hope, I never gave up. I said, ‘I’ll do it again’. And that’s why it took me 16 years to do it. People think that one fine day, I became an Indian citizen. They have no idea how long I had to wait. And it was worth the struggle. I’d have waited another 16 years,” the Padma Shree awardee continues, “I just felt that this was home, right from the moment I landed here for the first time. This was the missing piece of the puzzle which made my life complete. I’ll never take it for granted.”

While the singer-composer is overseas with his wife Roya and daughter Medina, he says they do have some big plans for his 50th birthday. “Agar meri taraf se celebration mein koi kami aati hai toh woh pura desh poora kar deta hai. Everybody has a reason to smile on my birthday and I love that! It’s very special,” Sami concludes.

Adnan Sami’s father (Arshad Sami Khan, left) was a decorated fighter pilot in the Pakistan Air Force, and served three Pakistani Presidents as Aide-de-Camp. Adnan dismisses those Pakistanis who today remind him of his ‘legacy’ when he praises the Indian Air Force, with, “I’m hearing more about him being a war hero today than I did when he was alive... Uski qabr kahaan hai woh toh tum jaante ho, woh zinda kahan tha kya yeh jaante ho?”

What is the background to the Srinagar concert? Was it at your initiative, or the government's?
The initiative was completely from the government's side. They called me up and said we want to do something like this in Srinagar, in a bid to promote tourism and as part of our efforts to create normalcy, and would you be willing to do it? Without even blinking an eye I said yes, it would be an honour to be part of such an endeavour. And I said I would want to do something like this as a service to the country, not as a business, so I did it completely gratis. I was very excited. It was an historical moment.

It's one thing to try to organise a concert in Srinagar - that in itself is an aberration given the way things have gone the past year or so. But to have that concert by the most prominent Pakistani citizen who renounced his original citizenship to take up an Indian passport ­ that had very strong under tones and messages being sent across, don't you think?
(Laughs and laughs, then comes back to being politically correct) Regardless of what the insinuations and undercurrents may be, for me what was most important was to be part of an activity, in whatever magnitude, that was part of an effort to bring some peace to that place which is otherwise a surreally beautiful heaven on earth. As a musician, to be part of anything that promotes peace is very rewarding. I said at the concert as well, I hope this is the beginning of many such activities in the valley.

Was it entirely coincidental that, invited to a government-hosted concert in Srinagar, you were found singing Mehbooba Mehbooba Mehbooba?
(Attempts to draft coherent answer amidst laughter) Arey... frankly ... it was coincidental. See, actually, I often begin my concerts with that one since it was my first Bollywood song to be released (Ajnabee, 2001), it's like taking the audience on a journey, my own journey through all this. Mazey ki baat yeh thi that we had a meeting with her and her family in the afternoon. And it was only when I went on the stage and by reflex began to begin with that number, was when I myself realised ki iss ke toh mainey badal jaate hain (resumes laughing)!

Kashmir has not been the quietest place the past few months. Did you have any security-related apprehensions?
There was, understandably, very heavy security, since they wanted to ensure that everything goes through without, you know, without any incident, which, by the grace of God, it did. Of course it required a tremendous amount of security. When you are doing something like this for the first time, it is understandable that you are extra careful about everything. But at the end of it when they saw the enthusiasm of the public, when they saw the keenness of the local youth to participate in such an activity ­ that was just wonderful. By the time it ended, and we had Lift Kara De as the final song, the entire audience stood up and sang and they danced and they enjoyed... it was quite a spectacle! And when people wanted to stand up and dance and come near the stage, the security didn't stop them ­ they let them be. Which was wonderful. It wasn't as if people were cordoned off on security grounds. And in fact, given the fact that MoS Home Kiren Rijiju was also there...

Why am I not surprised at Rijiju being present at an Adnan activity and vice versa?
(Laughs again) No, listen, the interesting part, since I was on the stage and I saw this, was that despite the fact that he was sitting in the front row and people came in front of him and began dancing, nobody made any effort to even stop that. Short of people actually climbing onto the stage, I don't think anyone was restricted from anything - so it was not like an oppressive security-obsessed activity, which I thought was very welcome!

What you did promotes music in Kashmir. But did you have time to think about the music of Kashmir - it barely exists in popular consumption anymore. We hear of it occasionally, but beyond the santoor performances on state-run channels, where do you really see it anymore? What names do you think of if you say 'Kashmiri music'?
I know what you are saying. I'll tell you something interesting. After I reached Srinagar, I had an interesting interaction, a very casual one, with many local artists. Some of them sang, some of them played instruments ­ and I was stunned to see that among them were some absolutely incredible artists. And I was asking myself, why is their work not known anywhere outside where they are physically? Inka kaam baahar kyun nahi aaya aaj tak? I was saying to them ki aap iss cheez ko sirf yahan tak mat mehdood rakho, iss ko baahar duniya mein aana chahiye. And they said, hum bhi bahut tadap rahe hain yeh karne ko, lekin agar log baahar ubharne ki koshish karte hain toh fatwe nikal aate hain. They still remember woh bechaari bachchiyon ke saath hua tha, the ones who tried to form a girl band (in February 2013, Kashmir's first all-girl rock band, Pragaash, comprising three teenagers, was forced to disband after death threats on social media and a fatwa by a cleric ordering them to stop as he deemed music “unIslamic“). This is very tragic. I hope concerts become a regular activity so that the locals also get a chance to perform on a wider stage.

The fatwa-centred ideology killing off music is not dissimilar to the story you would be working on for your first film, on an Afghan musician forced to flee his native country.
Absolutely. Which is why I understand their frustration, how they are bound down. (Pause) We perform all over the world, but joh wazan, joh symbolism kal ka tha, that is far bigger than any other concert I have done ­ and it is not just that the government organised it, but that the people supported it. That was incredible.

You're sure they did? Dozens of Twitter posts spoke about empty chairs and all that.
Yes. Aur mazey ki baat pata kya hai? For a concert that began at around 7pm, when it was dark, woh dopahar ke dhai baje ki photographs laga kar khush ho rahe hain. Who will be there at 2.30 in the afternoon? Since the concert was outdoors, the sun will tell you at what time the photos have been taken! They were trying to create that impression - but the sad part is that no matter which side of the political spectrum you are on, why are you trying to run down something that is non-political, something that brings an evening of normalcy to your own people?

Perhaps because locals attending a concert - more so, a concert by you, given your history - doesn't fit in with the narrative of what they need to sell each day?
Yes! That shows your mindset. That shows that you are genuinely not happy with anything that brings normalcy to your region. It's a very dangerous attitude and it is so frightening that aise logon ko kuch logon ne guru maana hua hai...

After getting Indian citizenship earlier this year, musician Adnan Sami and his wife Roya have another reason to celebrate. The couple became proud parents of a baby girl on Monday (May 8). They have named her Medina Sami Khan. In an exclusive conversation with Bombay Times, Adnan talks about his new bundle of joy and why he doesn't want to comment on any controversy. Excerpts...

How does it feel to become a father again?
It's been more than a decade since I had my first child. When you are in love with the right person, you want to start a family with him/her. My son Azaan was born in 1993 and now, after the birth of my daughter, I have started understanding the 'daddy's girl' concept. My songs are high on emotions and I can't describe the surge of fatherly love that I am feeling now.

You have named her Medina after the holy city...
Yes, I have named her after the city of Medina, which embraced Prophet Mohammed when he was forced to leave Mecca. Even today, the city is known for its love and hospitality. It's also here that you'll hear the most beautiful Azaan, immersing you in a wave of spirituality. So, I felt that Medina was an apt name for my baby.

Now that you have mentioned Azaan, you must be aware of the recent controversy around Sonu Nigam's tweet against loudspeakers...
I am in a happy state of mind right now. I don't want to talk about anything that leads to any negativity.

There was a lot of furore over the legality of triple talaq as well...
The word 'Talaq' is too negative to be spoken about at a time when I have happiness in the family.

Your daughter was born in Munich, so she is a German citizen by birth. Considering the long and tedious process you went through to become an Indian citizen, didn't you want her to be born here?
So what? That doesn't stop her from being a Hindustani. She will eventually come to India and we'll apply for her Indian citizenship. Mumbai is home to us. Medina was born in Munich because Roya's family lives in Germany and she had five sisters to help her while I was travelling for work.

You've had two failed marriages before you finally found love, and settled down with Roya. Did your previous experiences make you cynical?
I never gave up on love. Despite two failed marriages, which was unfortunate, I strongly believed in the institution because my parents had a good marriage. I am an incurable romantic and Roya came into my life wreck. when I was an emotional. She helped me during my tough times and gave me stability. One should never be cynical about love or marriage.

Mumbai, for the last few days, was gripped by the Justin Bieber mania. Your comments...
No, I am not aware of that, but I know that our country is warm and will go out of its way to extend hospitality.

You were last seen singing a qawwali in Bajrangi Bhaijaan. Are you being selective when it comes to Bollywood?
Formats in film music have changed, and so has the number of songs. I've been in the business for 32 years and have never followed herd mentality. I did Bhar Do Jholi Meri because I was getting to sing a qawwali for the first time. Also, Salman Khan and I go back 20 years. His father Salim Khan is a father figure to me.

What was the process of your becoming an Indian citizen like?
This has been going on for a long time, the file goes through so many tables as per the process. Finally it came to a point where everything, every procedure has been followed and then it's just the final signatures on the main form. So I went in the morning, to North Block (Delhi), and there were a few signatures that had to be done on various forms, they had to be stamped by various officers, and then you have to pay a particular fee, and then after those formalities were done, the certificate was issued. In a small ceremony, the Minister Of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, officially gave me the certificate of citizenship. The entire procedure was about an hour-and-a-half long.

You've waited a decade and a half for it.
Yes, I waited a decade and a half for it. When you have been wanting, aspiring for something for years and you feel in your mind that you are completely ready for it, you are in a state of numbness because you can't believe that it is finally happening. I have lived in different parts of the world and experienced a lot of things, but there are certain moments in your life which are life-changing, this is one of those, it is a milestone. Even though I have lived here for a decade and a half, there is nothing that I can express to tell you what it feels like because it is something that is phenomenal.

Having said that, I will look at it from another perspective also. I have always believed that there is no such thing as coincidence and I have always believed in destiny. After this experience, I am now a believer beyond a shadow of doubt. My belief in destiny was absolutely well founded because I was born on August 15 - look at the irony, it could have been 14th, but no, He made sure I was born on the 15th of August - so that was the hint number one. And then I went to study in England and when I was doing my A-levels, I had to write a thesis in history on any world leader. I could have chosen Napoleon, George Washington... I chose Gandhi, that's hint number two. A lot of people were like 'are you sure you are going to be doing that' and I said 'yeah, I have an admiration for him so I did that.' I read every possible book that I had, starting from My Experiments With Truth. And then God felt, yaar, he still doesn't get it, go and shift him over there, so He made me shift here and created a home for me which I felt was as home as it gets. And then He created the desire in me that I want to be here because I spiritually belong here.

Today I can speak with conviction that all those things were not coincidence. There was the Lord above, constantly nudging me - 'you are at the wrong place, you have another destiny' - and it was here and that's why I kept pushing for it. My wife is from Germany, for example. I could have gone to Germany, but I wanted to go for India.

I feel that a certain quest was there right from my birth, it's just that the paperwork took 46 years. I am reminded of a beautiful dialogue in the film Gandhi when he is sitting on the edge of the sea, he turns around to Martin Sheen and he says, 'I have travelled so far and all I have done is come home'. That was a beautiful line, and I feel so much like that today. I have travelled so far, I have lived all over the world, and all I have done is come home, that's a beautiful feeling.

How long was the one and a half hour after the one and a half decade?
It was long. Each minute was like a year. I felt like a kid. It was like when a child is waiting for that final Christmas gift and parents happen to be whispering things and you are like 'ab kya bol rahe hain, is it happening?' When you want something that is very dear to you, somewhere along the line, you become the child. I certainly do. Today, I literally felt like a kid in a candy store; 2015 went by and God decided on the 31st, last ball pe sixer maar diya. I was like, wow! What a finale!

In the phase when you were having this paperwork happening for such a long time, how often did it occur to you that it may or may not go the right way?
Frankly speaking - never. I just had an inner belief. That it will happen.

No stress? Even though you had burnt your bridges before you came to this side?
Burnt, and how! Talking about burning bridges, now a lot of those people - the trolls - will be silenced, but the period that was most difficult in all this was when I was stateless, after I renounced my Pakistani citizenship. And then there were people over there who were trying to unnecessarily be provocative, but I didn't care. My attitude was that it doesn't matter, koi baat nahin, procedures are procedures.

You need to understand one very important thing, which a lot of people don't even know about, that I have been granted citizenship under a very special clause, and that is Section 6 (1) of the Citizenship Act 1955, in which the Government of India has discretionary powers to grant citizenship to any individual who they feel has extraordinary talent or exceptional talent in various fields such as science, art, culture, and they can do so at will. A lot of countries have such clauses - for example, Albert Einstein, who was a German, got US citizenship similarly, his category was the field of science. This particular clause has been there, and it came as a surprise to me that it was there all along. So it was not only a historical moment for me at a personal level, but it is a historical moment because of the fact that it has been applied very rarely.

So this sort of grant of citizenship hasn't happened very often?
Yeah, and when you are being considered in that one category, then again it's like 'should we do it?' It is not an easy decision to make. The PM and Home Minister Rajnathji and Kiren Rijijuji ensured that every single procedure was followed - and I wanted that. I wanted to ensure that everything was absolutely followed. But if I had to wait for another 10-20 years, I would have waited. For a decade and a half, I have been living here and I have always felt it in my heart that I am an Indian. My friends would always look upon me as an Indian - and then there were times when they will say, we are going to vote tomorrow, and to me they would say, 'enjoy yourself '. When you have those small legal limitations, those are the moments when you suddenly remember, and you get that reality check and you want to get it over with. Otherwise, it was very much part of who I am. I could have waited for another 10 years, whatever it took, but I was very clear about what I wanted.

You will see it as a human gesture, others will see it as something which makes the regime look good - what's all the intolerance talk about when Pakistani artistes want to live in India as Indian citizens? You've never had any issues or conflict living in India so far?
See, to each his own. For example, I might introduce you to someone you know, that guy may be very nice to me but nasty to you, you won't like him. But I like you and I like him and I will say that you may have issues, but I don't have any issues with him. Similarly, I can only judge and speak about my own personal experiences. And in my personal experience, I have been blessed that I have never had any issues with anybody. For me, everybody is the same. If you are not nice to me, I will say, 'Okay, we will try to make it nice tomorrow'. I am like that. I am not a confrontational person.

There's no dearth of people who will make the 'oh, the Pakistani artistes want to be here because India is where the money is' argument.
You know... (silence), people perhaps have a tendency of making a lot of frivolous statements, like maybe he wanted it because of money. They don't realise something about me. First of all, they don't know who I am, or my background. I come from a very affluent family. I have been educated in one of the finest institutions of the world. Money was never a factor in my life, by the grace of God, I was blessed with a golden spoon. I come from an aristocrat kind of background, my grandfather was the governor of four provinces of Afghanistan. I was in King's College, I was in Rugby School. I did my Bar from Lincoln's Inn. I have had situations when somebody came to me, I won't name him, and offered me a blank cheque, and said - 'Listen, I want you to do this. Please do it'. And I didn't feel right about it. And I said, 'nahin yaar, I don't think it's a good idea for me to do this'. Money was never a driving force for me. Is it too much that you want to do something out of sheer love? I know we live in a materialistic world, I am not living on cloud nine, I am not living in Disneyland, I understand all that. But a person who has seen so much and experienced so much and has been blessed with so much, money has never been a driving factor, and anybody who says that surely has no clue who I am or what my background is.

Maybe you should be more vocal about that background, then. Because the flak often is along the lines of  'a Pakistani who can't sell his albums in Pakistan because there is no industry there comes here, Hindustan mein humari roti khate hain...'
The point is that I never had that issue in life. I came here purely for the love, for the fact that I am coming here for my music, and when my music found a home, which is the closest friend of mine, which is the most passionate thing in my life - when it found a home, then I found a home. And then from there, human relationships started to blossom and it went to a different zone.

What zone is it in now?
I have a new birth today. And you know, it's interesting because you need to exercise a tremendous amount of patience and all that, and then you say, why is this thing being so difficult? Why can it not be like this? And then when you get it, it's incredible how everything withers into thin air.

The pain doesn't count anymore?
Yes, it doesn't count anymore

Like an Olympic medal?
Exactly. Absolutely. Like a mother, when she is going through labour pains, but when she sees the child, everything is forgotten. So I am in that zone today. It's still going to take a while for me to sort of, you know... I know there are going to be moments when I'll feel that I won't be able to go through, but I'll know that I can. And I am going to enjoy that. I'm going to take that in for a while.

There were occasions when I would pray and have conversations with God, because he is our best friend. So I once had this conversation, where I said that I don't want to bore you with what I have to say because you know exactly what's in my heart. Meri khwahishein kya hain, meri duaein kya hain, meri arzoo kya hai aur tu hi behtar jaanta hai ki usmein achhai kya hai because you always know how to help me out in all kinds of situations. And you've always steered me in the right way. So just do it if you think it is right, I hand it over to you. This is no exaggeration, God is my witness. The point is, this is the conversation that took place two-three days ago. You know, you come to that point where you say that I just leave it to you. And if it's not meant to be, then you don't challenge it.