
20 Adnan Sami songs that deserve more love
The first single released by Adnan Sami came out in the year 1986. His latest hit song ‘Bheegi Saree’ is from the Sidharth Malhotra – Jahnvi Kapoor starrer ‘Param Sundari’, a film which releases in the theatres towards the end of this month. It is a huge achievement for an artist to remain relevant for almost four decade. In all these years, Adnan has built a name for himself as a singer, music composer, pianist and somebody who has a great understanding of rhythm and percussion.
As Adnan celebrates his birthday today, I write about 20 song by or featuring him that deserve to be heard by a larger audience. Some of the songs on this list are composed and sung by him. Some are the ones which are sung by him but created by another composer. Then, there are those which have been composed by him but rendered by another voice.
1. Ruthe Yaar Nu – Chori Chori
Perhaps the first qawalli sung by Adnan for a film, ‘Ruthe Yaar Nu’ is composed by Sajid-Wajid and written by Anand Bakshi. It is an energetic, filmy qawalli that is sung very well by Adnan. This was a time when Hindi film composers had started using western instruments like electric guitars and pads along with traditional instruments while arranging a track of this nature. Milan Luthria’s film would, mostly have good songs. The film boasted of a melodious film which definitely deserves more attention. This was one of the last films which Anand Bakshi had worked on.
2. Khwaja Mere Khwaja – Kachchi Sadak
Another qawalli sung by Adnan that went unnoticed because of the album not being publicized properly and the film failing to make a mark at the box-office. This is, perhaps, the only song sung by Adnan for music director Uttam Singh. “Aaya tere dar pe, ae khawaja, har mulk aur mazhab ke, insaan shoharat teri, sun ke ae khawaja, ek nur-e-illahi hai khawaja”, Dr Prabha Thakur writes some simple but effective lines that stay with you long after you have finished listening to the track.
3. Chhoti Si – Mumbai Salsa
A pathos-filled number that comes alive in Adnan’s voice, ‘Chhoti Si’ is the kind of song that would greatly connect with those who are going through a heartbreak in life. The track opens with a beautiful shehnai piece and then, slowly one discovers all the layers one it has. Adnan excels both as a composer and singer here. The song has Adnan’s stamp all over it. Even without seeing the credits, you can figure out that it is a song that has been set to tune by him.
4. Tum Jo Mile Humko – Khushboo
‘Khushboo’, a film depicting young love and featuring newcomers in the lead roles, had a bunch of melodious songs composed by Adnan Sami and written by Javed Akhtar. ‘Tum Jo Mile Humko’ is a beautiful love ballad featuring a soulful tune by Adnan and sparkling lyrics by Akhtar. Adnan and Mahalakshmi Iyer complement each other’s voices very well and one wishes the two of them had sung more songs together.
5. Dheere Dheere – Shaurya
‘Shaurya’ is another Adnan Sami – Javed Akhtar album that deserved more attention. One of the best songs from the film is this romantic number sung by Adnan and Sunidhi. This is one of the songs which you can play on a loop after a hard day at work and put your overworked mind at ease. Adnan composes a delicate melody that is beautifully complemented by some simple and heartfelt lyrics written by Javed Akhtar. As vocalists, Adnan and Sunidhi sing the song with the right amount of tenderness.
6. Waqt Ne Jo Bij Boyaa – Sadiyaan
At eight minutes and forty seconds, ‘Waqt Ne Jo Bij Boyaa’, perhaps, is the longest song composed by Adnan for a Hindi-language film. Once you finish listening to the song, you wish it was longer. I have not seen the film but going by the lyrics and the overall feel of the song, one feels the song depicts the emotions of a mother who is longing for her son. One of the highlights of this song is the heartfelt rendition by Rekha Bhardwaj which almost pierces through your heart. Listen to the way she sings “meri mamta tere bin yun hi reh jaati adhrui, isko na kar paati poori sadiyaan ve…”
7. Allah Hu – Rehguzar
“Tu paak sipara allah hu tu pahla para, tu pahli dua hai allah hu, ruhani saza hai allah hu, main tujhko padhun kaise padhun, karlu main zara pahle to wazu”, Nusrat Badr wrote some wonderful lines that made one instantly understand the struggle through which the protagonist is going through. Adnan Sami brought the sense of pathos in the song effectively to the fore. Aadesh Shrivastava composed a heartfelt tune and used some Middle-Eastern beats to beautify it. This song should appeal greatly to those who have a spiritual bent of mind.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpLjvG0fug&list=PLAwENnoVroXNRQQEUob-gUNM9uDaJigA&index=7
8. Pal Mein Hi – Chance Pe Dance
One of the most soulful love songs composed by Adnan Sami, ‘Pal Mein Hi’ is sung by Shreya Ghoshal and Soham Chakraborty. Soham, in certain portions of the song, sounds like Shaan. While it is a romantic number, it also has an upbeat rhythm which makes you want to tap your feet. The “tere aa jaane se” part, in particular, is very catchy.
9. Yaad Aayee – Muskaan
When you listen to ‘Yaad Aayee’, you realize Adnan is the only singer could have done justice to it. The song, which sounds very different from anything Nikhil-Vinay had composed before or after this, seems to have been tailor-made for Adnan. In fact, if you do not see the credits, you might believe it to be a song composed by Adnan. Apart from the tune, the arrangements too, remind one of several songs composed by Adnan.
10. Hum Tum Mile – Shakti
While ‘Ishq Kameena’ by guest composer Anu Malik remains the most popular song from the film, ‘Shakti’ actually had a wonderfully haunting soundtrack by Ismail Darbar. ‘Hum Tum Mile’, sung by Adnan, gives you a good idea about the kind of sound Darbar had created for the film. The romantic number has a dreamy, haunting feel to it which engulfs you as soon as you start listening to it.
11. Mere Wajood – Page 3
‘Mere Wajood’ had two versions with almost the same duration. While the male version is sung by Adnan, the female version has been rendered by Sadhna Sargam. The opening lines of the song reminded me of ‘Mere Mehboob Qayamat Hogi’. This Shamir-Tandon song sounds pleasant to the ears.
12. Roothey Huay – Tera Chehra
‘Roothey Huay’ was one of the songs from the ‘Tera Chehra’ album that had a music video. While I don’t remember how popular the song was back in the day, it is not probably not heard as often as some of the other popular tracks on the album. The song, which is steeped in melancholy, boasts of a rather unconventional tune put together by Adnan which also happens to be extremely melodious. As a singer, Adnan not just sings but also expresses the emotions in the song very well.
13. Pyar Bina – Kabhi To Nazar Milao
‘Kabhi To Nazar Milao’ continues to be a very popular album. However, there are some songs in the album which did not get their due. ‘Pyar Bina’ is one of them. Adnan composes a highly infectious tune and sing it very well with Asha Bhosle. Asha and Adnan have sung a bunch of songs together. When you listen to this particular track, you realize they share great chemistry as co-singers.
14. Jab Bhi Cigarette – No Smoking
“Lambe dhaage dhuyein ke, saans silne lage hai, pyaas udhati hui hai, honth chhilne lage hai” wrote some highly imaginative lines for this anti-smoking song. The song had two versions. While the original version was sung by Vishal Bhardwaj himself, the jazz version had Adnan’s vocals on it. While both the versions were compelling, Adnan’s version had more spunk. Adnan does some wonderful theatrics here which work very well for the song.
15. Dil Dhakda Hai – U Me Aur Hum
Adnan sang three songs for ‘U Me Aur Hum’, out of which ‘Jee Le’ was the most popular. ‘Dil Dhakda Hai’ is a fun song driven by a playful tune by Vishal Bhardwaj and some wonderful wordplay by Munna Dhiman. If you observe the way Adnan emotes the word ‘kachcha’, you will realize he is a singer who makes it a point to understand the presence of every word in a song. Sunidhi, just like Adnan, contributes towards making the playfulness in the song come alive.
16. Bulbulyan – 3G
‘3G’ was a horror film and ‘Bulbulyan’ was the only song on the album which brought this aspect to the fore. The sense of fear and emergency in the song was brought to the fore wonderfully by Adnan. The song was composed and arranged quite nicely by Mithoon. Had the film worked, the song might have reached out to a wider audience.
17. Ab Kya Karenge Bhaiya – Khosla Ka Ghosla
‘Khosla Ka Ghosla’ is a film about a family which trying to get back their plot of land from a corrupt dealer. The song, in a way, depicts the predicament of the Khosla family. The song has elements of tragedy and comedy in equal measures. As a vocalist, Adnan treads this thin line carefully and ensures that he remains true to its essence. Bapi-Tutul compose a very catchy tune which benefits greatly from the masterful writing by Jaideep Sahni.
18. Sargoshi – Adnan Sami
An underrated song from Adnan’s 2007 album, this song will work very well those who love a classic Adnan Sami melody. While the song does remind of some of the other songs composed by Adnan, it manages to carve out a distinctive identity for itself. “Raahaton ki gali mein dard ka qaafila hai, dhadkanein keh rahi hain ishq ka silsila hai, ek pal kahin ab sukoon nahin, chubhati tanhaiyaan” – Maqbool Khwala writes some lovely, pensive lines that complement the melody put together by Adnan very well.
19. Karun Na Yaad – Press Play
This ghazal, written by Ahmad Faraz, has been interpreted by several singers and musicians over the years. Its most popular rendition, perhaps, is the one by Asha Bhosle and Ghulam Ali which featured on their album ‘Meraj-e-Ghazal’. ‘Karun Na Yaad’ starts with some verses in English which seemed to be have been sung by Salim Merchant. Adnan composes a highly immersive melody and sings it with utmost sincerity. The pain in his voice works beautifully for this song which is steeped in melancholy. The drop towards the end of the verse “ghazal bahana karun aur gungunaun usse” reminded me of the way the verse “kabhi dil se dil milao na” from ‘Kabhi To Nazar Milao’.
20. Vaada Tumse Hain Vaada – 1920
Unconventional, perhaps, is the right word to describe everything about this song. From the choice of the vocalist (Pandit Jasraj) to the arrangements, everything takes you by surprise. Director Vikram Bhatt’s brief to Adnan, perhaps, was to come up with a romantic song that would transport the audience to the era the film is set in. This is actually the kind of song that would blend in seamlessly in a film that is set in the present times. What adds to the joy of listening to this track is that the tune takes several unpredictable turns. The female version, which has been sung by Parveen Sultana, has a slightly different structure and is driven by an arrangement comprising western instruments.
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