Adnan Sami Khan
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Adnan Sami Khan (born 15 August 1969) is an Indian singer, musician, composer, actor and pianist. He performs Indian and Western music in many languages, such as
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
,
Urdu Urdu (; , , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in South Asia. It is the Languages of Pakistan, national language and ''lingua franca'' of Pakistan. In India, it is an Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of Indi ...
,
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...
,
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...
,
Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
,
Kannada Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...
and
Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...
. He has been awarded with
Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...
(India's fourth highest civilian award) for his remarkable contribution to music. His most notable instrument is the piano. He has been credited as "the first musician to have played the
santoor The Indian santoor instrument is a trapezoid-shaped hammered dulcimer, and a variation of the Iranian santur. The instrument is generally made of walnut wood and has 25 bridges. Each bridge has 4 strings, making for a total of 100 strings. It ...
and Indian classical music on the piano". A review in the US-based ''
Keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Mus ...
'' magazine described him as the fastest keyboard player in the world and called him the keyboard discovery of the nineties. He was raised and educated in the United Kingdom. He was previously a Canadian citizen, but became a naturalised Indian citizen in 2016. He was born to Arshad Sami Khan, a
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
i Air Force veteran and diplomat of
Pashtun Pashtuns (, , ; ;), also known as Pakhtuns, or Pathans, are an Iranic ethnic group primarily residing in southern and eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. They were historically also referred to as Afghans until 1964 after the ...
origin, and Naureen, who was originally from the Indian union territory of
Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory since 2019 * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered by India as a state from 1952 to 2019 * Jammu and Kashmir (prin ...
. ''
The Times of India ''The Times of India'' (''TOI'') is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by the Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, third-largest newspaper in India by circulation an ...
'' has called him the "Sultan of Music". He was awarded the
Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...
on 26 January 2020.


Early life and education

Sami was born in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, England on 15 August 1971. He was raised and educated in the United Kingdom. His father, Arshad Sami Khan, was a Pakistani Pashtun with roots in
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
while his mother Naureen Khan was an Indian from
Jammu Jammu () is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute ...
. Adnan's father served as a
Pakistan Air Force The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) (; ) is the aerial warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces, tasked primarily with the aerial defence of Pakistan, with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy when re ...
pilot, before becoming a senior bureaucrat and serving as Pakistan's ambassador to 14 countries. His paternal great-great-grandfather, General Ahmed Jan, was from Afghanistan and a military advisor to king
Abdur Rahman Khan Abdur Rahman Khan (Pashto: ) (between 1840 and 1844 – 1 October 1901) also known by his epithet, The Iron Amir, was Amir of Afghanistan from 1880 to his death in 1901. He is known for perpetrating the Hazara genocide, but also uniting the ...
. His paternal great-grandfather Agha Mehfooz Jan was the governor of four Afghan provinces under King
Amanullah Khan Ghazi (warrior), Ghazi Amanullah Khan (Pashto/Dari: ; 1 June 1892 – 26 April 1960) was the head of state, sovereign of Afghanistan from 1919, first as Emirate of Afghanistan, Emir and after 1926 as Kingdom of Afghanistan, King, until his abdic ...
's reign and was also the King's first cousin, while his paternal grandfather Abdul Sami Khan served as the Deputy Inspector General of Police. Agha Mehfooz Jan was assassinated by
Habibullah Kalakani Habibullah () also spelled Habib Ullah, Habibollah, Habeeb-Allah, is a male Muslim given name meaning in ''Beloved of God'', stemming from the male form of the name Habib. It may refer to: People named Habib Ullah * Habib Ullah Khan (politici ...
and therefore Sami's father's family migrated to
Peshawar Peshawar is the capital and List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population, largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is the sixth most populous city of Pakistan, with a district p ...
, then in
British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...
. Sami attended
Rugby School Rugby School is a Public school (United Kingdom), private boarding school for pupils aged 13–18, located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire in England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independ ...
in Rugby, West Midlands, UK. Adnan followed his bachelor's degree with a law degree (
LLB A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...
) from
King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...
. He went on to qualify as a
barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...
from
Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, commonly known as Lincoln's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for Barrister, barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister ...
, England. He had played the piano since the age of five and composed his first piece of music when he was nine years old. Sami began taking lessons in Indian classical music from the
santoor The Indian santoor instrument is a trapezoid-shaped hammered dulcimer, and a variation of the Iranian santur. The instrument is generally made of walnut wood and has 25 bridges. Each bridge has 4 strings, making for a total of 100 strings. It ...
maestro Pandit
Shivkumar Sharma Shivkumar Sharma (13 January 1938 – 10 May 2022) was an Indian classical musician and santoor player who is credited with adapting the santoor for Indian classical music. As a music composer, he collaborated with Indian flautist Hariprasad ...
when visiting India during his school vacations. Indian singer
Asha Bhosle Asha Bhosle (; ; born 8 September 1933) is an Indian playback singer, entrepreneur, actress and television personality who predominantly works in Indian cinema. Known for her versatility, she has been described in the media as one of the ...
saw him at age ten at an R. D. Burman concert in London, and encouraged him to take up music as a career. He is an accomplished concert pianist, music composer and singer with a command of Indian and Western classical/semi-classical music, jazz, rock and pop music. As a teenager, Adnan, when performing on the piano on a TV program in
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
, was described by the US-based ''
Keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Mus ...
'' magazine as the fastest man on keyboard in the world and the keyboard discovery of the nineties. Sami went on to learn Indian classical music from Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, the Santoor maestro in India. At the age of sixteen, Sami was approached to write a song for famine-hit Ethiopia, for which he won a special award from
UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
. In his career of 32 years, Sami has won many international awards including the Nigar Award, Bolan Academy Award and Graduate Award. Adnan is the youngest recipient of the Naushad Music Award for Excellence in Music. Previous recipients of this award include Lata Mangeshkar and Music Maestro Khayam. Sami was invited as a member of the jury of the music festival
Voice of Asia Voice of Asia (, ''Azııa Daýysy''; , ''Golos Azii'') is a music festival that has been held annually in Almaty, Kazakhstan since 1990. It features artists from all over Asia, Eastern Europe and other regions. The usual venue for the festival ...
competition held annually at Almaty, Kazakhstan.


Career


Albums and notable singles

His first single, "Run for His Life", was released in 1986. It was in English, and recorded for UNICEF. It went to No. 1 in the music charts in the Middle East. This was followed by three more No. 1s: "Talk to Me", "Hot Summer Day" and "You're My Best Kept Secret". His first formal album, ''The One & Only'' (1989), was a classical album on the piano accompanied by tabla maestro Zakir Hussain. He released his first vocal solo album ''Raag Time'' in 1991. In 2000, Asha Bhosle collaborated with Sami on a collection of love songs named ''Kabhi to Nazar Milao'' in India. The music was also composed by Adnan. The album became an instant success and topped the
Indipop Indian pop music, also known as I-pop or Indi-pop, refers to pop music produced in India that is independent from filmi soundtracks for Indian cinema. Indian pop is closely linked to Bollywood, Tollywood, Pollywood, Kollywood and the Asian U ...
charts for most of 2001 and 2002. According to ''
Business Week ''Bloomberg Businessweek'', previously known as ''BusinessWeek'' (and before that ''Business Week'' and ''The Business Week''), is an American monthly business magazine published 12 times a year. The magazine debuted in New York City in Septembe ...
'' magazine, the album sold 4 million copies in India alone. His second studio album, ''Tera Chehra'', was released in October 2002 to critical acclaim. The music videos for this album were shot by
Binod Pradhan Binod Pradhan is an Indian cinematographer, director and actor. He has worked in several popular and acclaimed films as a cinematographer. Some of his award-winning films include '' 1942 A Love Story'', '' Devdas'', '' Rang De Basanti'', ''Miss ...
, who had shot the popular 2002 Hindi film ''
Devdas ''Devdas'' (, transliterated as ''Dēbôdās'') is a Bengali romance novel written by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. The story pivots a tragic triangle linking Devdas, an archetypal lover in viraha (separation); Paro, his forbidden childhood love ...
''. The album features Bollywood stars
Rani Mukerji Rani Mukerji (; born 21 March 1978) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. Noted for her versatility, she is the recipient of multiple accolades, including eight Filmfare Awards. Mukerji has featured in listings of the leading and hi ...
in the title track and
Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Bachchan (; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema. He is often considered one of the greatest, most accomplished and commercially successful actors in the history of Indian cinema.* * * * * With a cinemati ...
in the track "Kabhi Nahi", who also sang the duet with Sami. Actress
Mahima Chaudhry Mahima Chaudhry (born Ritu Chaudhry; 13 September 1973), is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films. Chaudhry did a few modelling assignments and television commercials before venturing into films, with the 1997 romantic drama film ' ...
was also seen in another song. The title track was written by well-known Hindi movie lyricist
Sameer Samir (also spelled Sameer) is a male name found commonly in South Asia, the Middle East, and Central Asia. In Arabic, Samir () means "holy", "jovial", "loyal", or "charming". In Albanian, it literally means "so good" but loosely "exquisite", ...
. According to '' Screen Magazine'', it was the only successful pop album of the year. Sami's ''Tera Chehra'' broke sales records by becoming India's best-selling album of 2002 (including film soundtracks), continuing its No. 1 position in 2003, and by becoming the best-selling Indian album of all time (including film soundtracks) in the U.S. and Canada. The album stayed in the No. 1 position in all the music charts of India from the time of its release in September 2002 for over a year, beating his debut album's No. 1 record. His most successful albums have been ''Kabhi To Nazar Milao'' (with
Asha Bhosle Asha Bhosle (; ; born 8 September 1933) is an Indian playback singer, entrepreneur, actress and television personality who predominantly works in Indian cinema. Known for her versatility, she has been described in the media as one of the ...
) and ''Tera Chehra'', and his music videos usually have had
Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
stars in them, including
Namrata Shirodkar Namrata Shirodkar (born 22 January 1972), is an Indian actress, producer and beauty pageant titleholder, who was crowned the Femina Miss India in 1993. She is primarily known for her work in Hindi films. She is best known for her works in film ...
("Bheegi Bheegi Raat"),
Mahima Chaudhry Mahima Chaudhry (born Ritu Chaudhry; 13 September 1973), is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films. Chaudhry did a few modelling assignments and television commercials before venturing into films, with the 1997 romantic drama film ' ...
,
Raveena Tandon Raveena Tandon (born 26 October 1972) is an Indian actress primarily known for her work in Hindi films. Considered as one of the leading actresses of the 1990s and early 2000s, Tandon is a recipient of several awards, including a National Film ...
,
Rani Mukerji Rani Mukerji (; born 21 March 1978) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. Noted for her versatility, she is the recipient of multiple accolades, including eight Filmfare Awards. Mukerji has featured in listings of the leading and hi ...
("Tera Chehra"),
Govinda Govinda (, ), also rendered Govind, Gobinda, and Gobind, is an epithet of Vishnu and his avatars, such as Krishna. The name appears as the 187th and the 539th name of Vishnu in the ''Vishnu Sahasranama''. The name is also popularly addressed to ...
,
Fardeen Khan Fardeen Khan (; born 8 March 1974) is an Indian actor who mainly works in Hindi films. Born to actor and film producer Feroz Khan, he is part of the Khan family. He made his acting debut in the film '' Prem Aggan'' (1998), for which he won the ...
,
Amisha Patel Ameesha Patel (; born 9 June 1975) is an Indian actress who appears in Hindi and Telugu films. Patel is the recipient of several awards such as a Filmfare Award and a Zee Cine Award. Patel made her acting debut in 2000 with the romantic ...
("O Meri Jaan"),
Bhumika Chawla Bhumika Chawla (born Rachna Chawla; 21 August 1978) is an Indian actress known primarily for her work in Telugu cinema, along with a few Hindi and Tamil films. She made her acting debut with the film '' Yuvakudu'' (2000) and subsequently became ...
("Maahiya"),
Dia Mirza Dia Mirza Rekhi (born Dia Handrich; 9 December 1981) is an Indian actress who primarily works in Hindi films. She won the title of Miss Asia Pacific International in 2000 after being crowned Femina Miss India Asia Pacific 2000. Mirza made her ...
("Pal Do Pal") and
Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Bachchan (; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema. He is often considered one of the greatest, most accomplished and commercially successful actors in the history of Indian cinema.* * * * * With a cinemati ...
(Kabhi Nahi). He has composed film music for several other Hindi films, including '' Lucky: No Time for Love'', ''Yeh Raaste Hain Pyar Ke'', ''
Dhamaal ''Dhamaal'' () is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language comedy film directed by Indra Kumar and produced by Ashok Thakeria. The film stars Sanjay Dutt, Riteish Deshmukh, Arshad Warsi, Aashish Chaudhary and Javed Jaffrey in the lead roles, with Asr ...
'', ''
1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen in Finland, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its ow ...
'', ''
Chance Pe Dance ''Chance Pe Dance'' () is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language dance film starring Shahid Kapoor and Genelia D'Souza and supported by Mohnish Behl and Prince Rodde. It is directed by Ken Ghosh and produced by Ronnie Screwvala under his banner, UTV M ...
'', ''
Mumbai Salsa ''Mumbai Salsa'' is a 2007 Indian film directed by Manoj Tyagi, starring Vir Das, Linda Arsenio, Manjari Fadnis and Dilip Thadeshwar. Plot Four pairs meet accidentally in a Mumbai bar called Mumbai Salsa and get hooked on each other for life. T ...
'', ''Khubsoorat'', ''
Sadiyaan ''Sadiyaan'' () is an Indian Hindi-language drama film released in 2010 that stars Luv Sinha, Feryna Wazheir, Rishi Kapoor, Hema Malini, Jawed Sheikh, and Rekha. The story is about a family during the partition of India. The film was directed by ...
'', ''
Shaurya ''Shaurya'' ( ''Valour'') is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language legal drama film directed by Samar Khan and produced by Moser Baer. The film stars Kay Kay Menon, Rahul Bose, Javed Jaffrey, Deepak Dobriyal, and Minissha Lamba. The film is based ...
'' and several others.


Film composer

In 1994, he composed music for a film for the first time. The 1995 Pakistani film '' Sargam'', in which he was the lead actor and Indian playback singer
Asha Bhosle Asha Bhosle (; ; born 8 September 1933) is an Indian playback singer, entrepreneur, actress and television personality who predominantly works in Indian cinema. Known for her versatility, she has been described in the media as one of the ...
did the playback ''Sargam'', was a box office success. It was also the first time that an Indian playback singer was featured in an album in
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
. To date ''Sargam'' is the only film Sami has acted in, and the score is the best-selling album of all time in Pakistan. He soon became popular, which led Hindi filmmaker
Boney Kapoor Achal Surinder "Boney" Kapoor (born 11 November 1955) is an Indian film producer primarily associated with Hindi cinema, in addition to Tamil and Telugu cinema. Early life Kapoor was born as Achal Surinder Kapoor in 1955, the son of Surinder ...
to invite him to provide music for his film. This was the beginning for him to compose and sing for Hindi films and for the top Hindi film producers of the time like
Yash Chopra Yash Raj Chopra (27 September 1932 21 October 2012) was an Indian film director and film producer who worked in Bollywood, Hindi cinema. The founding chairman of the film production and distribution company Yash Raj Films, Chopra was the reci ...
and
Subhash Ghai Subhash Ghai (born 24 January 1945) is an Indian film director, producer, actor, lyricist, music director and screenwriter, primarily known for his work in Hindi cinema. He was one of the most prominent Hindi filmmakers in the 1980s and 1990s. ...
. Due to the popularity of his music videos and live performances, he started getting acting offers at the same time. The song "Tu Sirf Mera Mehboob" from the Hindi film '' Ajnabee'', sung by Adnan, became popular and was declared a "superhit" by '' Screen Magazine'', who called him the pop personality of the year in 2001. '' Saathiya'' (2002) brought him the opportunity to work with
A. R. Rahman Allah Rakha Rahman (; born A. S. Dileep Kumar; 6 January 1967), also known by the initialism ARR, is an Indian music composer, record producer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and philanthropist known for his works in Indian cinem ...
in the form of "Aye Udi Udi". According to '' Screen Magazine'', the song was "the highlight of the album".
Rediff.com Rediff.com, stylized as rediff.com, is an Indian news, information, entertainment, and shopping website. Founded by Ajit Balakrishnan in 1996, it was the first Indian website to become a mainstream news media organization. It is headquartered i ...
called him the "Reigning King of
Indipop Indian pop music, also known as I-pop or Indi-pop, refers to pop music produced in India that is independent from filmi soundtracks for Indian cinema. Indian pop is closely linked to Bollywood, Tollywood, Pollywood, Kollywood and the Asian U ...
" in early 2003 based on the sales of his albums in the previous two years. He performed a
qawwali Qawwali is a form of Sufi Islamic devotional singing originating in the Indian subcontinent. Originally performed at Sufi shrines throughout the Indian subcontinent, it is famous throughout Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and has ...
"Bhar Do Jholi Meri" in the 2015 film ''
Bajrangi Bhaijaan ''Bajrangi Bhaijaan'' () is a 2015 Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film co-written and directed by Kabir Khan, based on an original story by screenwriter V. Vijayendra Prasad, and produced by Salman Khan, Rockline Venkatesh and Kabir Kh ...
'', he appeared in the movie as well.


Illness and weight loss

In 2005, he suffered from
lymphoedema Lymphedema, also known as lymphoedema and lymphatic edema, is a condition of localized swelling caused by a compromised lymphatic system. The lymphatic system functions as a critical portion of the body's immune system and returns interstitial ...
and developed an abscess in the knee, which interrupted his career. In 2006, he took a sabbatical and reportedly lost 130 kg.


As a concert pianist

As a classical concert pianist, Sami has given solo performances before royalty such as the King of Sweden and
King Hussein of Jordan Hussein bin Talal (14 November 1935 – 7 February 1999) was King of Jordan from 1952 until his death in 1999. As a member of the Hashemite dynasty, the royal family of Jordan since 1921, Hussein was traditionally considered a 40th-generatio ...
. He has performed before heads of state and governments such as President Mitterrand of France, the
President of the United Arab Emirates The president of the United Arab Emirates (), or the Raʾīs (), is the head of state of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The president and vice presidents are ''de jure'' elected every five years by the Federal Supreme Council, and the prim ...
, the President and
Prime Minister of India The prime minister of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of government of the Republic of India. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and his chosen Union Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers, despite the president of ...
, the President and
Prime Minister of Pakistan The prime minister of Pakistan (, Roman Urdu, romanized: Wazīr ē Aʿẓam , ) is the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and his chosen Cabinet of Pakistan, cabinet, desp ...
, the President and Prime Minister of
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the Kazakhstan–Russia border, north and west, China to th ...
, the Prime Minister of
Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan, officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia lying in the Tian Shan and Pamir Mountains, Pamir mountain ranges. Bishkek is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Kyrgyzstan, largest city. Kyrgyz ...
, the Prime Minister of Sweden and Princess Christina of Sweden. Adnan has performed for music festivals to sold-out stadiums of his solo concert tours all over the world in over forty countries.


Composing for events

Sami wrote a song for India during the
2003 Cricket World Cup The 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup was the eighth Cricket World Cup, organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC). It was co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya from 9 February to 23 March 2003. This edition of the World Cup was the ...
. The video of this song captures the nationalistic spirit of competition, depicting Adnan performing with the
Indian cricket team The India men's national cricket team, also known as Men in Blue, represents India in international cricket. It is governed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India and is a full member nation of the International Cricket Council with T ...
with guest appearances from Indian film stars like
Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Bachchan (; 11 October 1942) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema. He is often considered one of the greatest, most accomplished and commercially successful actors in the history of Indian cinema.* * * * * With a cinemati ...
,
Abhishek Bachchan Abhishek Bachchan (; born 5 February 1976) is an Indian actor and film producer known for his work in Hindi films. Part of the Bachchan family, he is the son of actors Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan. From 2012 to 2016, Bachchan appeared in ...
,
Fardeen Khan Fardeen Khan (; born 8 March 1974) is an Indian actor who mainly works in Hindi films. Born to actor and film producer Feroz Khan, he is part of the Khan family. He made his acting debut in the film '' Prem Aggan'' (1998), for which he won the ...
and
Kareena Kapoor Kareena Kapoor Khan (; ; born 21 September 1980) is an Indian actress. A prolific leading lady of Hindi cinema since 2000, she is noted for her roles in a range of film genres—from romantic comedies to crime dramas. Kapoor is the recipient ...
.


Television

He hosted the Indian version of the American music game show ''
Don't Forget the Lyrics! ''Don't Forget the Lyrics!'' is an international music game show. The original American show aired on Fox from July 11, 2007, to June 19, 2009, and after a year off the air, a third overall season, and first as a syndicated show, began on June ...
'' called ''Bol Baby Bol'' on the Star TV network in 2008. Prior to that in 2005, he was the sole jury for the singing competition program on Channel called ''Super Singer''. In 2011, Adnan returned as a judge on the singing reality show ''
Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L'il Champs Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L'il Champs, is a sub-series of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, it is a singing competition television series, which airs on Zee TV. Young children participate in this show and are judged on the basis of their voice quality, singing talent and ...
'', which became popular worldwide.


Awards and recognition

Sami has won a number of international awards, including the
Nigar Award The Nigar Awards () were presented in an annual award show to recognize outstanding achievement in Pakistani cinema, after having been revived in 2017 following a 15-year absence. The honors are awarded by Nigar Magazine founded in 1948. The ...
, the Bolan Academy Award, and the Graduate Award. He was given a special award by UNICEF for the song he wrote for famine-hit Ethiopia as a teenager and a United Nations Peace Medal for a song he wrote and performed for Africa. A review of his piano solo performance on British TV
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
in ''
Keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Mus ...
'' magazine called him the "Keyboard Discovery of the 90s". In 2001, he was awarded the Breakthrough Artist of the Year by MTV. Swedish and British radio and television have often referred to him as the fastest keyboard player in the world. Adnan has performed for prestigious music festivals to sold-out stadiums of his solo concert tours all over the world in over forty countries. In summer 2003, he became the only Asian artist to have sold out Wembley Stadium, London, for two consecutive nights, which won him a place in the
Limca Book of Records The ''Limca Book of Records'' is an annual reference book published in India documenting world records held by Indians. The records are further categorised into education, literature, agriculture, medical science, business, sports, nature, adve ...
. In 2008, he was presented the "Naushad Music Award" by Andhra Pradesh Department of Culture, in
Hyderabad Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...
. In 2008 he also won "Best International Act" at the
UK Asian Music Awards The UK Asian Music Awards, also known by the abbreviation UK AMA, was an awards show that was held annually in the United Kingdom from 2002 to 2012. The awards show has been produced and broadcast by B4U Music since 2008. Awards winners were dec ...
. In 2013, he was given the BrandLaureate International Brand Personality award by the President of The BrandLaureate, Dr KK Johan, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In April 2017, Sami became the first South Asian to have performed at London's Wembley Stadium 8 times; tickets were sold out on all 8 occasions. The Mayor of London,
Sadiq Khan Sir Sadiq Aman Khan (, ; born 8 October 1970) is a British politician serving as Mayor of London since 2016. He was previously Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Tooting (UK Parliament constituency), Tooting ...
, attended the concert. In January 2020, he was awarded the
Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...
, India's fourth highest civilian honour in the field of Arts, by Government of India. He received the award from
President of India The president of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, and the commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the Indian Armed ...
on 8 November 2021 In 2010, Sami received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" from the
Prime Minister of Pakistan The prime minister of Pakistan (, Roman Urdu, romanized: Wazīr ē Aʿẓam , ) is the head of government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and his chosen Cabinet of Pakistan, cabinet, desp ...
at a ceremony by Pakistan Television. In 2011, Sami was given the "
Glory of India Award The India International Friendship Society (IIFS) is a private voluntary organisation based in New Delhi, India. Its stated aim is to strengthen the ties between India and its expatriate community in the hope of using the resources and potential o ...
" by the
India International Friendship Society The India International Friendship Society (IIFS) is a private voluntary organisation based in New Delhi, India. Its stated aim is to strengthen the ties between India and its expatriate community in the hope of using the resources and potential o ...
. This was the 350th anniversary of the completion of the
Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal ( ; ; ) is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal Empire, Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his belo ...
, and Sami gave a solo concert performance in front of the Taj Mahal on the final night of the celebrations. After this performance, the Indian media dubbed him the "Sultan of Music".


Business endorsements

In 2002,
Pepsi Pepsi is a Carbonated water, carbonated soft drink with a cola flavor, manufactured by PepsiCo which serves as its flagship product. In 2023, Pepsi was the second most valuable soft drink brand worldwide behind Coca-Cola; the two share a long ...
Foods made Sami its
brand ambassador A brand ambassador (sometimes also called a corporate ambassador) is a person paid by an organization or company to represent its brand in a positive light, helping to increase brand awareness and sales. The brand ambassador is meant to embody the ...
in India, a contract which involved hosting a series of live music concerts across cities as well as featuring in ads for Pepsi products. He is the only artist in all of Asia and Europe to have endorsed Pepsi Cola and Coca-Cola together.


Personal life

Sami first married to actress
Zeba Bakhtiar Zeba Bakhtiar (; born 5 November 1962) is a Pakistani film/TV actress and a television director. She is known for her TV drama ''Anarkali'' (1988), the Bollywood romantic drama ''Henna'' (1991), and the Lollywood movie, '' Sargam'' (1995). She ...
in 1993, with whom he had a son named
Azaan Sami Khan Azaan Sami Khan (born 22 May 1993) is a Pakistani music composer and actor. He is the son of musician Adnan Sami and actress Zeba Bakhtiar. Khan is known for composing music for some of Lollywood's hit films, including '' Parey Hut Love'', ''Su ...
. They divorced after three years. Sami began living in India since 13 March 2001, on a visitor's visa which was extended from time to time. In 2001, Sami married Dubai-based Arab Sabah Galadari. This was his second marriage and Sabah's second marriage as well; she had a son from her previous marriage. This relationship also ended in divorce, a year-and-a-half later. In June 2006, he weighed 230 kilograms (506 lb); he claimed his doctor had given him just six months to live. By diet and exercise, he lost in 16 months. In 2008, his wife Sabah returned to Mumbai, remarried him and began living with him, but the marriage only lasted one year, after which Sabah filed for divorce again. In 2009, his father died of pancreatic cancer, which he described as the "biggest blow" of his life, saying that he had been extremely close to his father. On 29 January 2010 Sami married Roya Sami Khan, the daughter of a retired diplomat and army general. He first met Roya in India during her visit in 2010 and proposed to her after some time. On 10 May 2017, he became a father to a daughter, Medina Sami Khan. On 26 May 2015, he submitted a request for Indian citizenship to the
Ministry of Home Affairs An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement. In some states, the i ...
, when his Pakistani passport expired (he also held Canadian citizenship at the time), as the Government of Pakistan declined to renew his passport; he had lived an adequate number of years in India that made him eligible for Indian citizenship hence he naturalized as an Indian citizen. In late December 2015, the Indian Home Ministry approved his request for legal status as a citizen of India, effective as of 1 January 2016. Sami appeared on an episode of
Aap Ki Adalat () is an Indian television show that is hosted by journalist Rajat Sharma. The show began in 1993, was broadcast on the television channel Zee TV until 2004, moved on from Zee News in 2004, and now airs on India TV. It is the longest running r ...
hosted by
Rajat Sharma Rajat Sharma (born 18 February 1957) is an Indian journalist and businessperson acting as the chairman and Editor-in-chief of India TV, an Indian news channel. He is most known as host of Indian television show ''Aap Ki Adalat'', which first a ...
, which aired on 31 May 2025. He shared about his experiences about being denied Pakistani visa to visit his mother's funeral, which he watched on video call, and criticised the Pakistan Army and intelligence agency ISI for brainwashing youths into committing acts of terror across India while referring to the Pahalgam terror attack and the November 2008 Mumbai terror attack, besides looting the nation and begging for donations to fund their objectives. Additionally, Sami expressed gratitude to the Government of India and the audience for giving him recognition, and credits
Asha Bhosle Asha Bhosle (; ; born 8 September 1933) is an Indian playback singer, entrepreneur, actress and television personality who predominantly works in Indian cinema. Known for her versatility, she has been described in the media as one of the ...
for supporting his career and hosting him when he moved to India. Furthermore, Sami also expressed about being a foodie and showing himself as a hopeless romantic through his music.


Filmography


As an actor

* '' Sargam'' (1995) * ''
Bajrangi Bhaijaan ''Bajrangi Bhaijaan'' () is a 2015 Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film co-written and directed by Kabir Khan, based on an original story by screenwriter V. Vijayendra Prasad, and produced by Salman Khan, Rockline Venkatesh and Kabir Kh ...
'' (2015)


As a playback singer


Urdu songs


Hindi songs


Telugu songs


Tamil songs


Kannada songs


Other languages


As a music director and composer

* '' Sargam'' (1995) * '' Love at Times Square'' (2003) * '' Lucky: No Time for Love'' (2005) * ''
Dhamaal ''Dhamaal'' () is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language comedy film directed by Indra Kumar and produced by Ashok Thakeria. The film stars Sanjay Dutt, Riteish Deshmukh, Arshad Warsi, Aashish Chaudhary and Javed Jaffrey in the lead roles, with Asr ...
'' (2007) * ''
Mumbai Salsa ''Mumbai Salsa'' is a 2007 Indian film directed by Manoj Tyagi, starring Vir Das, Linda Arsenio, Manjari Fadnis and Dilip Thadeshwar. Plot Four pairs meet accidentally in a Mumbai bar called Mumbai Salsa and get hooked on each other for life. T ...
'' (2007) * '' Khushboo'' (2008) * ''
1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen in Finland, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its ow ...
'' (2008) * ''
Shaurya ''Shaurya'' ( ''Valour'') is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language legal drama film directed by Samar Khan and produced by Moser Baer. The film stars Kay Kay Menon, Rahul Bose, Javed Jaffrey, Deepak Dobriyal, and Minissha Lamba. The film is based ...
'' (2008) * '' Daddy Cool'', co-director:
Raghav Sachar Raghav Sachar (born 24 July 1981, in India) is an Indian singer, composer and film scorer. Early life and career Sachar was born to father, R. K. Sachar, and mother, Usha Sachar in Calcutta. He is the youngest of three children. He started p ...
* ''
Sadiyaan ''Sadiyaan'' () is an Indian Hindi-language drama film released in 2010 that stars Luv Sinha, Feryna Wazheir, Rishi Kapoor, Hema Malini, Jawed Sheikh, and Rekha. The story is about a family during the partition of India. The film was directed by ...
'' (2010) * ''
Chance Pe Dance ''Chance Pe Dance'' () is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language dance film starring Shahid Kapoor and Genelia D'Souza and supported by Mohnish Behl and Prince Rodde. It is directed by Ken Ghosh and produced by Ronnie Screwvala under his banner, UTV M ...
'' (2010), co-director:
Pritam Chakraborty Pritam Chakraborty (born 14 June 1971), also popularly known mononymously as Pritam, is a National Award winning Indian composer, instrumentalist, music producer and singer. Graduating from FTII in Sound Engineering, he worked as an ad jin ...
,
Ken Ghosh Ken Ghosh is an Indian director, producer and screenwriter. Filmography References External links * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ghosh, Ken 1966 births Living people Film directors from Mumbai 21st-century Indian people Hindi-language film di ...
, Sandeep Shirodkar


Discography

''Badaltay Mausam'' (1997) was re-released in India as ''Kabhi To Nazar Milao'' (2000).


Notes


References


External links


Interview
on
Republic TV Republic TV is an Indian right-wing English-language news channel launched in May 2017. It was co-founded by Arnab Goswami and Rajeev Chandrasekhar, before the latter relinquished his stake in May 2019, converting it into an editor controll ...
(by
Arnab Goswami Arnab, Arnav or Arnov is a first name popular in India, and means "ocean" in Sanskrit. It also means "rabbit" in Arabic and Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic ...
). * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sami, Adnan 1971 births Living people Alumni of King's College London Indian film score composers Indian male playback singers Indian male pop singers Indian television presenters Indian Muslims Indian people of Pashtun descent Indian pop composers Bollywood playback singers Urdu playback singers Telugu playback singers Tamil playback singers Kannada playback singers Musicians from London Musicians from Mumbai Nigar Award winners Pakistani emigrants to India Indian people of Afghan descent Naturalised citizens of India People educated at Rugby School People who lost Pakistani citizenship People who lost Canadian citizenship Naturalized citizens of Canada Indian male film score composers Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts English-language singers from India