Adnan Sami happy to celebrate birthday as Indian

Mumbai, Aug 15 (IANS) Singer Adnan Sami, formerly a Pakistani, says he is elated to celebrate his birthday – which falls on August 15, India’s Independence Day – as an Indian citizen for the first time. Sami was born in Britain and held Canadian citizenship too, received his certificate of Indian citizenship earlier this year.
He tweeted: “Feeling proud that today I celebrate my birthday for the first time as an Indian with My India. Happy Independence Day India.” The singer is known for rolling out hit songs like “Tera Chehra”, “Kabhi to Nazar Milao”, “Lift Karaa De” and “Kabhi Nahi”. Several celebrities from the Hindi film fraternity took to Twitter to wish the “Bhar Do Jholi” hitmaker.
Actress Prachi Desai told Sami: “India is celebrating its Independence with your birthday.” Music composer Ehsaan Noorani and veteran actor and comedian Johny Lever also wished him a great year ahead.
Singer Adnan Sami earlier said that musicians irrespective of their religion, spread peace. And if they are being silenced by violence, it’s time to wake up to the “dilapidated state of affairs”.
Sami lent voice to “Bajrangi Bhaijaan” song “Bhar do jholi” — a rendition of the famous qawwali of late Ghulam Farid Sabri, whose son Amjad Sabri was recently shot dead by unidentified assailants in Karachi, Pakistan.
Asked to comment on the incident, Sami told IANS here: “It’s a very tragic thing. Musicians, irrespective of the place they belong to, are messengers of peace. When you start to silence messengers of peace, then I think you need to wake up and smell the coffee because it’s staring you in the face.