Malaysia PM Anwar Ibrahim Sings Kishore Kumar’s ‘Khwab Ho Tum’ at BRICS Gala

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim surprised guests during his India visit by singing the iconic Hindi song “Khwab Ho Tum Ya Koi Haqeeqat”, originally sung by legendary playback singer Kishore Kumar. 

The musical moment took place during the BRICS gala dinner in New Delhi, hosted as part of the summit proceedings. Reports said Anwar joined an informal musical performance, with a pianist accompanying him as he sang the popular Bollywood classics

The song comes from the 1965 Hindi film Teen Deviyan. It was composed by S. D. Burman, with lyrics written by Majrooh Sultanpuri, and Kishore Kumar provided the original vocals. 

Anwar also shared the musical moment on social media. In the caption, he wrote in Malay, “Guru mintak izin nyanyi kejap ok!”, which was reported as meaning, roughly, “Guru, allow me to sing for a little while, okay?” 

The performance quickly attracted attention online, with many viewers appreciating the Malaysian leader’s familiarity with Indian cinema and music. The episode added a lighter, cultural dimension to an otherwise formal diplomatic gathering and highlighted the people-to-people and cultural connections between India and Malaysia. 

Anwar was in New Delhi for the 2026 BRICS Summit, which was held on September 12–13. His musical performance became one of the more memorable informal moments surrounding the high-level diplomatic event.