Adnan Sami expresses dissatisfaction about the music industry business

I love music, but I hate the music business,” says Adnan Sami, at one point in the interview. Well, we don’t know about the hate, but we’ve all felt his love for the art every time we listened to one of his songs. This time too, the singer has woven his magic with Bheegi Saree in Param Sundari. In a chat with mid-day, Sami talks about his process, the industry’s obsession with data, and why romantic melodies will never go out of style.

Excerpts from the interview.

You’ve sung everything, from romantic songs to heartbreak numbers. How do you get into the zone mentally before recording them?
I have to hear it many times, get it into my musical DNA, as it were. I have to put myself in that frame of mind. If it’s a sad song, I [look deep] into my inner self and think about something that can bring out those emotions naturally. Bheegi Saree is a fun, flirtatious song about rain. So, I tried to bring out that essence in my performance. 

After the song is picturised and released, do you go back and watch it? Did you watch Bheegi Saree?
Yes, I was delighted to see the picturisation of the song. It was vibrant, done tastefully, and Sidharth [Malhotra] and Janhvi [Kapoor] performed it beautifully. I loved the retro car and the song’s opening. It has an old-world charm to it. Sometimes a song lives up to [how] you imagined it, and at times 
it doesn’t.

‘Bheegi Saree’ from ‘Param Sundari’

Do you think romantic melodies are making a comeback in movies?
Absolutely! It’s like the good old saying — if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I don’t know why they [filmmakers] decided to do away with them because today when everybody is so data-obsessed, they should know that you don’t mess with [romantic numbers]. It’s a no-brainer. Data will show you that romance is always going to work.

Are you working on independent music? We haven’t seen any new albums coming out.
People are more driven by singles these days. Some time ago, I released something with Asha ji [Bhosle]. We just did it because we hadn’t worked together for a long time and thought it might be fun to do something. But yes, I am now in the studio recording some new stuff, and it should be coming out in the next few weeks. Music brings out the child in me, and I love to work with new people and ideas.

Having spent 36 years in the music industry, where do you think Hindi film music stands today?
Everybody is obsessing over data, which is ridiculous because music is not made on the basis of data. It’s made on the basis of inspiration or pure creativity. Data is good as a guide, but it cannot dictate your next creative move. Why are people trying to be surgical about it? Music is not surgery. Otherwise why isn’t everyone coming up with hits? When you try to repeat something that has already happened, you don’t generate the same kind of interest. Once Avengers started working, everyone wanted to make their own universe. It’s the same with music. I understand the obsession of wanting to play safe, but thodi si toh hadh karo yaar. [Filmmakers] should give composers the space and time to do what they are hired to do. Don’t tell them, give them a free hand.

How do you think the business side of the music industry has fared over time?
That is a humongous topic. I love music, but I hate the music business. I tolerate all the other crap because I’m so passionate about music. If I wasn’t, I would never be involved in the profession because it’s a difficult one. From the business aspect, there is a lot that needs to be accomplished for the rights of musicians. It’s not just in India, it’s worldwide. Just when people thought they had nailed it in the West, music went digital. So, the royalties went for a toss. Now, we have new challenges with AI. How I tackle it is, ‘Theek hai yaar. Par tum yeh tune suno, yeh bahut acchi hai’.