Anwar Ibrahim Sings Kishore Kumar Classic at BRICS Gala in Delhi
Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim performed Kishore Kumar's 'Khwab Ho Tum' at a BRICS gala dinner in Delhi, as India and Malaysia elevated ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim brought a Bollywood flourish to his official visit to India, singing Kishore Kumar's "Khwab Ho Tum Ya Koi Haqeeqat" during a gala dinner in Delhi held alongside the BRICS Summit. The song, from the 1965 film Teen Devian, was composed by S D Burman with lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri.
Anwar performed the number during his stay at a Delhi hotel, a moment that underlined his long-standing familiarity with Hindi cinema. It was not the first time his taste for Indian popular culture has surfaced in diplomacy: during an earlier outreach involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he shared an official video montage featuring "Bole Chudiyan" from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.
Diplomacy Beyond the Music
The cultural interlude came amid substantive engagement. Anwar met Modi for a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit, where he remarked on the Indian prime minister's international standing, saying he had received many messages asking him to convey regards.
The visit — Anwar's first to India since becoming Malaysia's prime minister in 2022 — produced an elevation of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with several agreements signed covering areas such as digital technology and tourism cooperation.
Anwar also praised India's civilisational heritage and history, and expressed optimism that outstanding geopolitical issues between India and Pakistan could eventually be resolved peacefully.
A Summit of Culture and Consensus
Malaysia took part in the gathering as a BRICS Partner Country, joining discussions on global governance, sustainable development, trade, investment and digital transformation. The summit was organised around the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability."
The gala dinner featured performances intended to showcase artistic traditions from member and partner countries, including "Navarasa – The Universe of Shared Emotions" and the "One Rhythm, Many Cultures" BRICS Symphony.
The cultural programme followed the unanimous adoption of the New Delhi Declaration 2026, under which BRICS members backed institutional reforms in global governance and reiterated support for multilateral cooperation aimed at developing economies.