Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim added an unexpected Bollywood twist to his diplomatic visit to India, breaking into Kishore Kumar’s evergreen song ‘Khwab Ho Tum Ya Koi Haqeeqat’ during his stay in New Delhi.
Anwar shared a video of the performance on Instagram, in which the Malaysian leader can be seen singing the iconic Hindi number as a pianist accompanies him. The song, originally featured in the 1965 film Teen Deviyan, was composed by S D Burman and penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri, with Dev Anand among the film’s lead actors.
The unexpected performance added a cultural touch to Anwar’s otherwise busy schedule of diplomatic meetings and engagements. His familiarity with Indian cinema has surfaced during previous interactions as well, including
an earlier official video montage shared by him that featured ‘Bole Chudiyan’ from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham.
Anwar Ibrahim Calls PM Modi ‘Very Popular’
The Malaysian Prime Minister also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday for bilateral discussions on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit. A video from their interaction showed the two leaders shaking hands before sitting together, during which Anwar made a candid remark about Modi’s popularity.
Speaking to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Anwar said, “See, Prime Minister Modi is so popular; I got so many messages to pass on regards to him. The informal exchange came as the two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen India-Malaysia relations across several areas.
Anwar Praises India’s Heritage
Anwar’s India visit also featured comments on the country’s rich civilisational heritage and history. He expressed optimism about the possibility of outstanding issues between India and Pakistan eventually being resolved through peaceful means.
The visit was significant as it marked Anwar’s first trip to India since becoming Malaysia’s prime minister in 2022. During the broader diplomatic engagement between the two countries, India and Malaysia also elevated their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and signed several agreements covering areas such as digital technology and tourism cooperation.
Against this backdrop of high-level diplomatic discussions, Anwar’s Kishore Kumar performance offered a more informal glimpse of the Malaysian leader and his appreciation for Indian popular culture.
The post shared by the Malaysian Prime Minister gained traction online, with several users taking to the comments section to react to his performance.
“U sang really well sir👏❤️, hope you had a great time in India,” said one user.
“Malaysian Leader has truly made BRICS a warm Event 👏” said another.
“Wow, didn’t know Mr Anwar is so Melodious ❤️ loving this. Lots of Love from an expat 🇮🇳 Indian from Malaysia,” said a third.
“For some reason he sang better than me😭” said a fourth.
