Bangladeshi singer Runa Laila. | Photo credit: VVKrishnan
Ahead of her first visit to the Indian capital in nearly two decades, Bangladeshi music legend Runa Laila said music has the power to heal and unite people across national borders. Speaking to The Hindu over the phone from Dhaka, the singer paid tribute to the late Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar, calling them “pillars of South Asian music” and calling for greater cultural cooperation between South Asian countries. Ms. Laila will receive the Minar-e-Dilli Award at the 15th edition of the Delhi International Film Festival, which will be held from May 4 to 8.
“I saw that music has a healing quality and that there is something divine in it that can touch everyone, regardless of faith or belief. Music knows no boundaries and always brings people together,” said Runa Laila, who has been singing for sixty-three years. The daughter of a Pakistani civil servant who began performing in the 1960s, Ms. Laila began recording music at the age of 12 and was a sensation on Pakistan’s nascent television scene in the 1960s. Her life took a turn when Bangladesh was born after the liberation war in 1971, prompting her to return to her roots in Bangladesh and leave West Pakistan, where her father was stationed at the time.
Published – 30 Apr 2026 23:42 IST
