Beyond Geopolitics: Why Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim and other global leaders turn to Bollywood playlists

Bollywood’s soft power is known worldwide. Whenever an Indian travels abroad and interacts with locals, the first point of commonality is Bollywood. Be it Raj Kapoor’s crazy fandom in Russia or, decades later, Shah Rukh Khan’s popularity in the Middle East, Bollywood, through its films, has been India’s cultural identity. In recent years, Bollywood music in particular has been building cross-cultural bridges, particularly in Asia.

New Delhi recently hosted the BRICS Summit 2026, which had many global leaders in attendance. Amid geopolitical treaties and trade agreements, what grabbed eyeballs was when Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim used Bollywood songs in videos of his India visit while sharing on social media. His choice of Bollywood songs for the posts particularly caught the attention of social media users.

Malaysian PM's Bollywood playlist

From praising PM Narendra Modi with songs like ‘I am the best’ from SRK-Juhi Chawla starrer Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani to Dil to Pagal Hai title track and DDLJ’s iconic ‘Tujhe Dekha To Ye Jana Sanam’, the Malaysian PM’s choice of music wooed the common man of India and made him appear more relatable.

The Malaysian PM's love for Bollywood music was not restricted to reels referring to Indian leaders only.

In a post featuring his meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Ibrahim opted for 'Saathi Haath Badhana'. The theme of the 1957 Naya Daur song centres around collective effort and moving ahead together.

The choice underscored the message of cooperation behind the meeting.

Ibrahim also shared a post featuring Russian President Vladimir Putin and members of the Russian delegation. The photographs were posted with a song from Aamir Khan's film Lagaan, 'Chale Chalo', reinforcing the theme of moving forward together.

While many felt that PM Ibrahim’s choice of music was a calculated PR strategy, it also reflected his genuine interest in Indian cinema. The choices were an authentic reflection of how deeply entrenched Indian popular culture is in Southeast Asia. It proved that generations of leaders across Asia grew up on the same cinematic and musical staple diet.

Emmanuel Macron’s tribute to India

Ibrahim is not the only country premier to woo the country with Bollywood music. Earlier this year in February, Frech President Emmanuel Macron had used Ranveer Singh starrer Dhruadhar’s track ‘Jogi’ for his India visit reel.

Jogi, sung by MC Punjabi, was originally released over two decades ago, but reworked by composer Shashwat Sachdev for Dhurandhar with additional vocals by Hanumankind.

The French President and the First Lady also had a special interaction with Bollywood celebrities, including Anil Kapoor, Manoj Bajpayee, Zoya Akhtar, Richa Chadha, Shabana Azmi, and Ricky Kej during their three-day visit to India.

You see, where policies and talks fail, cinema and music always bridge the gap. From Malaysia to France, Bollywood’s immense popularity has been transcending borders and overcoming language barriers. The leaders have only now been cashing in on Bollywood’s soft power.

Social media and its reach

From Bollywood dance classes to infusing local music into Hindi hit songs, everyone wants a piece of Indian cinema. Cross-cultural intersections like the one that industrialist Anand Mahindra shared on X in July are more a norm than an out-of-the-blue phenomenon.

Mahindra had shared a video of a Indonesian band singing Mahender Kapoor’s ‘Neele Gagan Ke Tale’ with a Reggae twist. The band in question goes by the name Albumology on YouTube, which reimagines retro Hindi songs, giving them a global spin.

With the popularity of social media, the world is now at our doorstep. And while we imbibe the culture of other countries, Indian cultural- its music, tradition and cinema is wooing people in other countries. Indian film music works because of its high emotional quotient—themes of love, separation, resilience, and celebration that transcend linguistic lines.

When celebrities like Anand Mahindra, with over 11 million followers on X, share such videos, it puts India on the global map while generating more curiosity around such cultural crossovers.

This isn’t a recent phenomenon, though. For decades, Indian cinema and music have been popular in Southeast Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East thanks to the diaspora communities, trade routes, and film exports. Social media has only widened the reach of Indian cinema and music. Now, Bollywood music is just one reel away.

In an era marked by geopolitical friction and polarisation, cultural soft power provides a common denominator. Whether it is a world leader curating a Hindi playlist or netizens reacting to a viral clip, or protestors using it to dissent against the government, Bollywood music continues to do what political rhetoric often fails to achieve: reminding everyone about a common emotional heartbeat.