Adnan Sami, currently the only all-rounded showbiz entertainer in India, is off on a month-and-a-half world concert tour that begins next week.

Much as the jealous brigade of colleagues in Mumbai would like to believe, Adnan is not going away for good.

"India is definitely my home now," Sami tells on the eve of his departure. "In fact, I'm already feeling homesick. Every time I return to Mumbai, I heave a sigh of relief. Mumbai has been my home for half a decade. Today, I'm more entrenched in this country than ever before," he said.

That doesn't stop Adnan's bitterly jealous rivals in the music industry from spreading the word that the super-gifted musician's visa in India has expired each time he visits another country.

Adnan laughs heartily. "Too bad I'm not going anywhere. Besides geographical space has become so redundant. I recorded a song for (composers) Nadeem Shravan in "Gumnam" where he gave instructions on phone from London."

Adnan's career as a music composer has taken off in a big way with the soundtrack of "Lucky: No Time For Love" breaking records.

"It's a great beginning in film composition for me," he concedes merrily. "I couldn't have hoped for better. And to have the awesome Lata-ji (Lata Mangeshkar) sing for me....that was the icing on the cake. Her contribution to our duet together - "Shayad yehi to pyar hai" - is incredible. She just comes in to the composition quietly and turns it into a magical experience."

He has also wrapped up work on his second movie soundtrack before he leaves for the extended world tour.

"It's a film produced by Pehlaj Nihalani. I got the chance to compose a different music score from "Lucky..." The sound is very modern and yet rooted to traditional elements of film music.

"The best thing about my second soundtrack is that I got to work with one of my idols Kishore Kumar's son Amit Kumar. It was as though Kishore-da was reborn! I wonder why Amit has been neglected for so long. He's capable of so much. I feel there's so much talent to dig into. All we need to do is tap into the reservoir," he said.

Does Adnan intend to put his career as a singer on hold in favour of composing music?

"Never! In fact, I'd never want people to say I've begun composing music in films only to give myself opportunities to sing. Every number I compose would be sung by the singer it demands and deserves. "Shayad yehi..." could have only been sung by Lata-ji."

And now Adnan leaves for his concerts, which kick off in Atlanta.

The singer said: "After the US, I go to Canada, the US and the whole of Europe. It will probably be even more exhausting than it sounds. But you know what? I enjoy live performances. They give me a chance to touch my audiences directly.

"For me a live performance has to be different from my recordings. Otherwise the audience, which pays huge sums of money to come and watch me at concerts, would feel cheated. I don't want anyone at my concerts to go back saying, 'but I could've stayed home and heard his CDs instead'. I want them to say, 'Adnan live is even better than Adnan on vinyl'."