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Although it’s been almost a decade since he officially became an Indian citizen, renowned singer-composer Adnan Sami is still frequently reminded that he was born a Pakistani. From subtle taunts to direct personal attacks on social media, he continues to face criticism in various forms. Yet, Adnan has never missed an opportunity to express how proud he is to be an Indian, with his reaction to the Pahalgam terror attack serving as a strong example.
In a recent interview, he opened up about the hatred he receives for renouncing his Pakistani citizenship and embracing Indian identity. He likened the criticism to a situation where a person, who is jealous of a former partner moving on and finding happiness, begins to badmouth them. He also dubbed it a form of love “that manifests in an absurd way”. He shared during a chat with Bollywood Bubble, “It’s like an ex-lover. When an ex-lover sees you moving on and getting involved with somebody else, they’ll always come up with reasons to hate you. But the reason why they actually do that is because they still haven’t gotten over you. It’s love, and love manifests in many absurd ways.”
Describing the backlash as a classic case of “sour grapes”, Adnan Sami said he, however, understands the mindset of his critics and where their resentment stems from. Nonetheless, he noted that they are unaware of the circumstances that led him to make the decision. For the unversed, Adnan Sami was born in England and previously held both Pakistani and Canadian citizenship. He moved to India in 2001 and was granted citizenship in 2016.
“It is ridiculous for anyone from anywhere to presume that they know what the reasons were behind it. There were solid reasons. At the end of the day, you can argue and say, ‘People are migrating all over the world all the time. Why don’t they have issues with them?’ First of all, because of the geopolitical nature between India and Pakistan, there is a rivalry between the two for whatever reason. But more than that, it is the ex-lover syndrome,” he claimed.
Adnan Sami also pointed out that despite being a well-known artiste with numerous hits, the Pakistani government never acknowledged his work or honoured him in any way, thus turning a blind eye to his contributions. “That’s just the tip of the iceberg. However, let me make it very clear, my audience and people over there have always been very loving. And they still are, and I love them very much even today. I’m very grateful to them for all the love that they’ve given me.”
He further maintained that his issues have always been with the Pakistani government, not the people, and particularly with how he was treated by those in power. “For an artiste, the biggest nourishment is love. So, from whichever corner of the world they get that love, they will be very grateful for it. My music is for everybody. I have not put any boundaries on my music. You want to listen to it? Most welcome. You don’t want to? Thanks for trying.”
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