The Hindu Huddle concludes with an evocative musical performance by former diplomat Nirupam Rao

Former diplomat Nirupama Rao (right) performs a musical piece along with Sri Lankan pianist Soundaria David Rodrigo (left) on the final day of The Hindu Huddle 2026 in Bengaluru on June 6, 2026. | Photo credit: K. Murali Kumar

The Hindu Huddle concluded after two days of dialogues and sessions on topics ranging from politics and artificial intelligence to sports and cinema. The closing session witnessed an evocative musical performance by Nirupam Rao, former Foreign Secretary, titled ‘Counterpoint: A Life in Diplomacy, Poetry and Music’.

The former diplomat was accompanied by Sri Lankan pianist Soundaria David Rodrigo. Ms. Rodrigo is a musician who is on the panel of Sri Lanka’s Got Talent and is also part of the Soul Sounds Choir.

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Among the songs Ms. Rao performed with Ms. Rodrigo were Bob Dylan’s Farewell Angelina, Stephen Foster’s Beautiful Dreamer, Charlie Chaplin’s Smile, and Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt’s Dream a Little Dream.

“There are many ways to tell the stories of life. They can be told through days and milestones, places we’ve lived and positions we’ve held. As a diplomat, I’ve spent my life sorting out the stories of nations. But today, when I look back on my own journey, I remember the songs. Tonight is a musical memoir in a way. Those songs are not my favorites. They’re the songs that stay with me. The songs we’re doing tonight are about outsiders.”

Life constants

Ms. Rao, who is also the founder of the South Asian Symphony Foundation (SASF), added, “As the daughter of an Indian Army officer, I grew up and moved from one corner of India to another and learned early that home can be many places. Later, diplomacy took me all over the world – to Beijing, Colombo, Lima, Moscow, Washington and beyond. Music has been a constant in my life.”

The songs in the program were not connected by any genre or era. The show featured Broadway tunes, American jazz classics and folk songs. “What unites them is that each evokes a memory, a place, a person or a moment in time. Together they form the soundtrack of a life lived across cultures and continents,” he said.

She opened her performance with the 1864 song Beautiful Dreamer by American composer Stephen Foster. The show has taken audiences around the world to songs by Welsh playwright Ivor Novello, Charlie Chaplin and John Turner.

One of the numbers she sang was Smile, composed by Charlie Chaplin for his 1936 film Modern Times, a film whose themes still ring true today. Written by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons, the lyrics suggest a smile and hope for a better tomorrow.

The Broadway number Something Wonderful by the songwriting duo of Richard Rodgers and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II was a classic song about love and understanding.

The last act of diplomacy

The performance took the congregation on a journey around the world and Ms. Rao highlighted how music helps in times of tension and diplomacy. Music is a language that can be trusted, she said, calling it the latest act of diplomacy.

The last song she performed was Bob Dylan’s Farewell Angelina, which was famously covered by singer Joan Baez. The haunting song is about an uncertain world in turmoil and seemed to fit The Huddle’s theme from “A World in Transition”.

Ms. Rao’s soulful vocals with Ms. Rodrigo’s piano melodies created a magical performance. With that, The Hindu Huddle 2026 ended poetically.

Published – June 6, 2026 10:10 PM IST