The Malaysian PM’s rendition of a Bollywood ballad went viral, but his India trip was about more than just the music
4-MIN READ4-MIN ListenJoseph SipalanPublished: 10:00am, 20 Sep 2026Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim caused a bit of a stir in India recently with his spirited rendition of a Bollywood classic – a lighthearted moment that also neatly captured his broader push to deepen ties with the South Asian giant.A video of Anwar singing, from memory, Kishore Kumar’s 1965 hit ballad “Khwab Ho Tum Ya Koi Haqeeqat” (“Are you a dream or are you reality?”) was first posted to his social media accounts last Sunday before quickly being picked up by Indian news outlets.
Viral recitals aside, the visit’s underlying importance lay in Malaysia’s attempts to widen its economic and strategic options at a time of intensifying rivalry between the US and China.
