As a musician, to be part of anything that promotes peace is very rewarding.
I had my own ups and downs in getting Indian citizenship. But, ultimately I got it and I am happy about it. I like India. My love is here. I am a proud Indian.
Pakistan doesn't value its artistes. I will get trolled for what I have said, but that is the reality. It is unfortunate.
Every person goes through a bad phase. Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan, too, had a rough phase in their careers. In my case, it was unfortunate that my personal problems came up at a time when I took a break to rejuvenate myself.
I can understand when people say that they're not a big fan of my music. That's an individual opinion, and I respect that. But you don't have the right to comment on my choice of citizenship, my skin colour, or my religion. It's not open to discussion.
I was born in England, but India is the only place I feel at home.
While artistes do want peace, it is not their preserve alone. Everyone wants peace just as much.
Music does not have colour or religion. If I listen to a song, I don't care about the colour, religion, or country of the singer. It doesn't matter, even if it is in another language, because I love the music.
My love for my wife Roya is so intense that I gave up alcohol. My love for my father was so great that when he made me promise him that I'd lose weight, I did and lost 167 kg.!
I have always believed that there is no such thing as coincidence, and I have always believed in destiny.
My weight is this permanent topic that just doesn't fade away. Most days, I am fine with people talking about it. That doesn't bother me as much as how people use the fact to promote their own ventures.
Terrorism doesn't have a border. Terrorists attack Mumbai, Peshawar, and also Paris.
When people love you for your cultural contributions, geographical boundaries become nonexistent.
I feel that one should be health conscious, and that feeling can only come from within, so I suggest people to challenge yourself.
I know we live in a materialistic world. I am not living on Cloud Nine; I am not living in Disneyland. I understand all that.
I am like a child when it comes to gizmos and gadgets.
I have had an extraordinary life, but it's been one incredible roller coaster ride.
I love the classic marble inlay work of Arga.
I am an incurable romantic. I am even in love with the idea of being in love, and hence, I write a lot of love songs.
I do not think classical music faces any threat because new music is being made through computer, as the real charm of classical is its purity, and one who is seeking purity will surely find classical music in spite of so many alternatives.
I believe every artiste, at some point, needs to take a step back.
My father was a great admirer of music and the arts, so there was always a lot of culture in the house. As it happened, while my father was the ambassador in Portugal, the ambassador's residence had a piano, and so I started learning how to play it at the age of five.
Whenever I have asked something from God and worked hard for it, I have always got it, be it my Indian citizenship or my weight loss.
I'm grateful to God that I'm able to praise his glory through my music.
I don't give a damn about trolls.
I remember my father playing a cassette for me when I was fifteen - Amjad Ali's 'Durga.' He said, 'This is from our part of the world. You must listen to it.' And I continued rewinding it and listening to it from early evening until midnight. By the end of it, I was nearly in tears.
The only relationships I wish to honour and keep are with my family and my dear loved ones.
When my first album came out, it wasn't Bollywood. The love that I received from people was everything, and it still is everything for me.
I was 230 kg, with a size 81 waist. I couldn't buy anything off the shelf and needed more than one tailor to measure and stitch my clothes.
I am a Mumbaikar. It has a special place in my heart.
Though music was not in my blood, I always considered myself belonging to music, and that remained with me throughout my studies. The studies were my parents' wish, which I fully complied with, as one must be educated at the highest possible level.
Sufis were always spreading love with their music, and if some kind of extremism is a threat to it, it is a threat to all humanity.
When I was obese, I reached a point where I was about to meet death, and I lost weight to restart my life.
My roots are in classical music and jazz, and I want the freedom of being able to improvise. This freedom is possible only in a live concert.
I was too big to even contemplate exercise. I had to use a walking stick and a wheelchair to get around.
For me, everybody is the same. If you are not nice to me, I will say, 'Okay, we will try to make it nice tomorrow.' I am like that. I am not a confrontational person.
My independent songs are actually about me, so if you really want to know me, listen to my songs and know what I have been through in my life.
Whoever portrays me on screen need not necessarily be a look alike. Any hero could play my part.
If there is a new airport in Mumbai, I would feel proud about it, and I equally feel angry when I see potholes.
I like to greet anyone who comes to my house with a lot of positivity and peace.
I am a singer. You love me or hate me based on my music. If you are judging me based on my nationality and religion, you are a racist. This is very offensive. I cannot encourage that.
There is nothing more beautiful for a musician to listen and see harmony.
I believe in the philosophy of turning the other cheek.
The way the Pak government treated me is only testimony to the ill treatment meted out to artistes. There was outrage against me. People were amazed that I had applied for citizenship in India. I don't give a damn about getting trolled. I have earned immense respect and love in India.
I will surely pen my autobiography.
If someone ever decides to tell my story, it will make for a typical masala movie.
A song's lyrics can't be held culprit for the overall change in society.
Whether it was the 9/11 attacks, Paris shooting, or the attack on the Taj, people across the world mourn the collective loss.
