A gala dinner hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for BRICS leaders took an unexpectedly musical turn Saturday night when Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim broke into a rendition of Kishore Kumar's classic "Khwaab Ho Tum Ya Koi Haqeeqat," accompanied by a live pianist at New Delhi's Bharat Mandapam.
A Cultural Moment Amid Diplomacy
Ibrahim posted video of his performance to social media, marking not the first time he has sung the Bollywood classic during a visit to India, having previously performed the same song during a 2024 interview. The gala itself featured a cultural showcase titled "Navarasa, The Universe of Shared Emotions" alongside a specially composed "BRICS Symphony," reflecting India's effort to blend diplomacy with cultural exchange during its chairmanship of the bloc.
A Notable Absence
The lighter moment stood in contrast to another development at the same event: Chinese President Xi Jinping did not attend the dinner, despite having arrived in Delhi earlier that day, held a bilateral meeting with Modi, and taken part in the main summit proceedings. Sources familiar with the matter said the reason for Xi's absence was not immediately clear, with one suggesting he may have returned to his hotel to rest following a full day of engagements on his first trip to India in seven years.
Other Leaders In Attendance
Russian President Vladimir Putin and other BRICS leaders did attend the dinner, alongside senior Indian officials including Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal. Malaysia participated in the summit as a BRICS partner country rather than a full member, part of a broader group of outreach nations invited to this year's proceedings.
A Lighthearted Footnote To A Serious Summit
While the two-day gathering focused primarily on economic cooperation, global governance reform and responses to ongoing conflicts, Ibrahim's musical performance quickly became one of the most shared moments from the summit online, offering a rare lighthearted footnote to a gathering otherwise dominated by geopolitical tension.