Adnan Sami opens up about his father’s influence and the impact of his loss on his music career: 'He was like my other self'

Adnan Sami Khan is a multi-talented artist known for his singing, composing, and piano skills. He effortlessly blends Indian and Western musical styles, performing in languages like Hindi, Urdu, English, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam.

Honoured with the Padma Shri for his exceptional musical achievements, he shared in an interview that the loss of his father led him to pause his career for a significant period.The Challenges Behind the BreakIn an interview with Bollywood Bubble, Adnan opened up about the reasons behind his extended break from music and his eventual return. He said, “There were just so many things happening at the same time. Whether it was my citizenship, the weight loss, or some personal problems I was going through, everything seemed to collide at once.

Then my father passed away, and that hit me the hardest. He was such an integral part of my life, a real driving force.

I don’t think anything affected me as deeply as losing him. He knew me so well, he was like my other self; he was incredible. He would often laugh and say, ‘Look, you’re not going to like this,’ and I’d insist, ‘I like it,’ and he’d reply, ‘I’m telling you, I know you better than you know yourself.’” This profound loss deeply impacted him, shaping his journey back to music.

A Father’s Role as Critic and GuideThe singer reflected on his father’s role in his musical journey, saying, “And sure enough, six months later, I’d go back and admit, ‘Okay fine, you were right.’ He was always the first person I wanted to play my music to. He was my security blanket and my most honest critic. If something sucked, he’d say it. If it was terrible, he’d tell me. And if it was good but could be improved, he’d guide me.

He was a great gauge for me.” He described the overwhelming feeling of loss, adding, “It’s strange, you spend a lifetime fearing the moment they’ll be gone. And then one day, you’re suddenly confronted with that very reality you’ve dreaded your whole life. And in that moment, you just think—now what?”Adnan Sami’s Journey from Pakistan to IndianAdnan Sami, originally from Pakistan, became an Indian citizen in 2016. He chose to build his career in India not just for money but because he felt sad in Pakistan. When he was feeling low, singer Asha Bhosle supported him and made him feel at home in Mumbai while they worked on the song 'Kabhi Toh Nazar Milaao.' After that, he became very popular in India. Talking to India TV, Sami said that after he released a few songs in 1998, people in the Pakistani music industry just decided he was done.

They didn’t even bother to promote the album. There was no marketing, nothing. It came out, and no one even knew. It disappeared like it never existed. That really broke him.