‘I was constantly seen as that piano-playing singer’

Unexpected and unfamiliar is the road Adnan Sami has taken with his latest single Lipstick Visually the singer has embraced a quirky avatar complete with kohled eyes tattoos and heavy jewellery He has turned in a different direction sonically as well blending his songs with spiritual and Sufiinspired elements In a candid conversation with midday Sami reflects on his new chapter where he feels ready to showcase his artistic evolution through his musicExcerpts from the interviewYour new video Lipstick has a distinct look Was that a conscious departure from your imageAbsolutely It would have been easy for me to simply play myself sitting behind a piano but that felt expected I wanted to do something rooted and playful The song has upbeat energy but Irsquove blended it with traditional elements mdash Rajasthani vocals folk textures and Sufi touches I wanted the visuals to reflect that too Dressing up as a slightly eccentric Sufilike character with rings surma and tattoos was great funStills from the song lsquoLipstickrsquo PicsYoutubeWhy centre the song on lipstick and superstitionsI realised lipsticks cut across class culture and age Whether yoursquore rich or poor young or old therersquos something about putting on lipstick that gives you confidence Even my daughter loves experimenting with it and so do grandmothers Then came the superstition angle Wersquove all grown up with strange beliefs mdash donrsquot cut nails at night black cat crossing your path is a bad omen These things exist in every culture Wersquore not mocking these beliefs Wersquore holding up a mirror and saying lsquoThis is who we arersquoWhy have you stayed away from film music in the last few yearsIrsquove been evolving both personally and musically For a long time I wanted to express that evolution but I wasnrsquot able to because people want to slot you into one image I was constantly seen as that pianoplaying singer therersquos more to me than that I didnrsquot want to remain trapped creatively I consciously stepped away mdash now therersquos a spiritual and Sufiinspired direction in my music and I finally feel ready to express it Irsquom working on a series of songs that sound different from anything Irsquove done beforeDo you think Bollywood music has changedCompletely Earlier films had five or eight lipsync songs Cinema today has become more realistic so songs are often part of the background score At the same time independent music is making a comeback because of streaming platforms Earlier every singer wanted to become a playback singer Today that concept is changing You can build your own audience independentlyIs this a better era for singers and musiciansIn many ways yes Everybody has a fair shot now Earlier access was controlled by a handful of gatekeepers Today anyone can upload music and reach audiences directlyAbout the music videoIn the video Adnan Sami wanted to depict the earthy and vibrant nature of Indiarsquos small towns He explained ldquoIt wouldrsquove been easy to make a flashy urban video with luxury cars glamorous styling and tiny outfits But thatrsquos not the majority of India I wanted something proudly desirdquo