We are sure you are already humming the tune of Adnan Sami’s Bheegi Saree from Param Sundari, but did you know his first home in Mumbai is that of the legendary music composer RD Burman? And all because of Asha Bhosle, who is just like a mother to Thodi Si Tu Lift Kara De-famed singer.
"Asha ji is an integral part of my life. It's for her that I came to Mumbai. And my first address in Mumbai, in North Avenue, Santacruz, was RD Burman's apartment," said Adnan who has known Asha since he was 10.
Adnan who recently released a song with Asha, Aao Na, more than two decades after their first one, Kabhi Toh Nazar Milao, added, "All this happened because of Asha Ji. I didn't have a place to stay and she put me up at Pancham Da's place which felt like a musical museum, because she has kept the house exactly as he left it...his awards, his recording instruments, his music, all kept EXACTLY the same way. To me, it felt as if I was in a musical temple."
That's where Adnan started his Indian chapter of his musical career. "She looked after me like a mother and my relationship with her is such that she can scold me whenever she feels like. And she has that right, I mean that's what mothers do," quipped Adnan.
"I have known her since the age of 10. In fact, I played her one of the recordings of that time, and she said, Dekho agar tum isi tarah se mehnat karte rahoge toh shayad ek din tum composer banoge (If you keep up your hardwork, may be one day you will become a composer). That was so inspiring for a 10-year-old, especially to hear this from Asha Bhosle," the singer said.
Coincidentally, his first album in India was with Asha. "No one could have planned that, that was just fate...and destiny."
It was in late 90s when Adnan was in London and he called her up to say, "Asha ji, I want to record something with you. She asked Kahan karna chahte ho (where do you want to do it)?, so I said in London. She said, 'Sami (as Asha refers to Adnan), London me kyun karna hai, Mumbai me karo (Why do you want to do in London, do it in Mumbai)', I said that I don't know anyone in Mumbai. 'Tum mujhe jaante ho (You know me),' she said, 'Yeh Hindi music ka capital hai, yahan music record karoge toh across the world popular ho jayenge (This is the capital for Hindi music, if you record here it will become popular across the world)'.
"I took a leap of faith, and arrived in Mumbai in 1993, with just a suitcase planning to stay for a month or two, and the rest is history. I ended up staying here for 26 years and eventually becme an Indian," Adnan concludes.
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