Adnan Sami opens up about the backlash he received post-Padma Shri win

Adnan Sami is a critically acclaimed singer, composer and songwriter who has been honoured by the Indian government with the Padma Shri, also known as the fourth most prestigious civilian award.

During a conversation with Hindustan Times, he spoke at length about the  moment he found out about his win. 

He explained that he got so shocked  by the news that his jaw figuratively hit the floor. Sami revealed, “I was shocked! If I was a cartoon, my jaw would have dropped to the floor. The funny part was my wife was in the other room when I received the call. Seeing me, she said, ‘What is going on?’ When I told her, she was equally shocked. When I told my mother, she asked ‘Beta, you’re talking about THE Padma Shri na?’ She was overwhelmed. It’s such an honour.”

However, there were a lot of citizens who criticized the decision. They brought up his father’s services to the Pakistani armed forces as a basis of retaliation.

To this, the singer responded by saying, “With these awards there will be a section of naysayers. They unnecessarily politicise something of this nature. Forget about me, look at the sanctity of this award. By doing this, you are insulting its dignity. You should draw the line somewhere.”

The singer considers their antics ‘silly’. He said, “That was as silly as it gets. By all means, criticise the hell out of my music. It’s a free world. But suddenly going to the third party zone and saying, ‘His dad was this’… Excuse me? He was doing what he had to do, for his own country, and with honour.”

The singer  further explained, “As a professional, respectable soldier, that was his life, I respect him for it. As much as he respected me when I told him I wanted to be an Indian citizen.”

Adnan concluded by saying, “He could have said, ‘How can you become that? I was a soldier’. He just said, ‘Beta, I have lived my life, these people (Indians) have loved, respected you. You have my blessings.’ The fact is, he loved India.”