Adnan Sami Birthday Special: 'India Has Been My Home For 20 Years,' Says Singer About Getting Indian Citizenship
On Adnan Sami's birthday, the singer shares his feelings about getting Indian Citizenship.
I’ve known him for years. He’s a dear friend and we are bonded in ways that the Wagah border cannot define. When I first met Adnan he took me on a spin on his new sports car at 180 kmph. I pretended to be unruffled but I was all shook up. He also took me to the hospital, no, not for post-shock treatment, but to meet his father who was on his deathbed.
The kindly patriarch opened his eyes and smiled feebly when Adnan introduced me to him.At the moment Adnan and I became inseparably united. Unlike my other ‘friends’ in Bollywood, Adnan really trusts me. We bitch about everyone and he doesn’t have to end every bitching session with, ‘Now don’t write this, huh?’
Even before he got Indian citizenship I never thought of Adnan as a Pakistani. No, my next sentence is not, ‘Some of my best friends are Pakistanis.'The truth is, Adnan is not Pakistani to me. Soon after he got Indian citizenship, Adnan was home for lunch with his lovely wife Roya. He sighed and reiterated how much at home he felt in India.
“I’ve renounced my Pakistani citizenship and now India is my home, as it has been for the last 14 years. It is a relief to be allowed to stay without the fear of being asked to leave. I am honoured and grateful to the government of India for granting me the permission to stay in India for an indefinite period,” said Adnan.
Adnan feels India welcomes artistes from all over the world and keeps its doors open for every kind of skill. “Look at the number of nationalities and cultures that co-exist in Bollywood. The Indian government is passionate about supporting artists from anywhere, and to allow them to pursue their dreams.”
He is proud to have made a home for himself in Mumbai. “India has been my beautiful home for 20 years. I’ve received infinite love from everyone in this country. I love the country and the people and never felt like an outsider. I am grateful to everyone in India for making me feel I belong here.”
Incidentally Adnan’s German wife Roya speaks fluent Urdu and Hindi, makes the most amazing Biryani on this side of Hyderabad and enjoys listening to all kinds of Indian music.
That brings me to the tie that binds me most strongly to Adnan. We both worship Lata Mangeshkar. Adnan inherited his love for the Melody Queen from his father. When his father was seriously ill and on his death bed in Mumbai, Lataji called him up and sang Adnan’s father’s favourite song Dheere se aaja ri ankhiyan nindiya aaja ri aaja, that timeless lullaby composed by C Ramachandra for the film Albela.And then Adnan’s father went into an eternal sleep.
Image source: Instagram/adnansamiworld
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