Adnan Sami says his song Lift Karadey was called ‘sadak chaap’ by music label, had to be shot with zero budget

Adnan Sami recalled how his hit song Lift Karadey, which boosted his popularity in India, faced scepticism from his music label.

Padma Shri awardee Adnan Sami has delivered several memorable songs over the years, but one of his biggest pop hits, Lift Karadey, was initially dismissed by his music label as a “sadak chaap” song that would not work. In a recent interview with Zoom, Sami recalled how the label refused to invest in the track, forcing him and his team to shoot its music video in a guerrilla style.

Adnan Sami on his song Lift Karadey being called ‘sadak chaap’

Adnan Sami says his song Lift Karade was called 'sadak chaap'. (Photo: Instagram)

Adnan revealed that he was told not to work on Lift Karadey as it wouldn't work. The singer shared that music label Magnasound asked him to work on a new song after Kabhi Toh Nazar Milao and Barsaat became superhits. The label wanted the singer to work on a romantic song; however, he suggested creating Life Karadey. That's when everyone got surprised

He recalled, "Then everyone looked at me and said, “What are you talking about?” I said, “Lift Karadey is a nice, peppy song.” He said, “What are you talking about? This is completely a roadside kind of song. Where are the classy songs like ‘Kabhi Toh Nazar Milao’ and ‘Bheegi Bheegi Raaton Mein’ (Barsaat), and where is this song?” I said, “Listen to me. I make and sing all kinds of songs.”

Adnan Sami’s Lift Karadey is one of the most memorable Indian pop songs of the early 2000s. The fun, quirky track was composed and sung by Sami, with lyrics by Riaz-Ur-Rehman Saghar, and was part of the album Kabhi To Nazar Milao. The music video also featured a memorable cameo by Govinda, whose spontaneous appearance added to the song’s charm. Sami later revealed that Govinda joined the shoot without rehearsals or even a costume change.

About Adnan Sami

Adnan Sami is a singer, composer, musician and pianist who began his professional music career in Pakistan before establishing a successful career in India. He released his first album, The One & Only, in 1992 and went on to release several popular albums, including Kabhi To Nazar Milao and Tera Chehra. His 2000 album Kabhi To Nazar Milao, particularly the title track and songs such as Lift Karadey, helped make him a well-known name in Indian pop music.

Sami later became a prominent playback singer in Bollywood. Some of his well-known Hindi film songs include Bhar Do Jholi Meri from Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Kabhi Toh Nazar Milao, Tera Chehra, Salaam Namaste, Aye Udi Udi Udi from Saathiya, and Noor-e-Khuda from My Name Is Khan. He has also composed music for films including Lucky: No Time for Love, Khushboo and Shaurya.

Sami became an Indian citizen in 2016 after previously holding Pakistani citizenship. He was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2020.