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

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

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

“There are many ways to tell the stories of life. One can tell them through days and milestones, places lived and positions held. As a diplomat, I spent life dealing with stories of nations. But when I look back today at my own journey, I remember songs. This evening is a musical memoir of sorts. The songs are not my favourites. They are songs that have stayed with me. The songs tonight speak of the journeys we undertake both outwards and inwards.”

Life’s constants

Ms. Rao, who is also the founder of South Asian Symphony Foundation (SASF), added, “As the daughter of an Indian Army officer, I grew up moving from one corner of India to another, learning early that home could be many places. Later, diplomacy took me across the world — to Beijing, Colombo, Lima, Moscow, Washington and beyond. Music has been enduring constants of my life.”

The songs in the programme were not linked by any genre or period. The show had 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 began her performance with Beautiful Dreamer, an 1864 song by American songwriter Stephen Foster. The performance took the audience around the globe, with songs by Welsh dramatist Ivor Novello, Charlie Chaplin, and John Turner.

One of the numbers she sang was Smile, a track composed by Charlie Chaplin for his 1936 film Modern Times, a movie whose themes still echo and ring true today. The lyrics, written by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons, hint towards smiling and having hope for a better tomorrow.

The Broadway number Something Wonderful by composer duo Richard Rodgers and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II was a classic track about love and understanding.

Last act of diplomacy

The performance took the gathering on a journey across the globe, and Ms. Rao stressed how music comes to one’s aid in times of tension and diplomacy. Music is a language one can trust, she said, and called it the last act of diplomacy.

The last song she performed was Bob Dylan’s Farewell Angelina famously recorded by singer Joan Baez. The haunting song is about an uncertain world in turmoil, and seemed fitting to The Huddle’s theme of ‘A World in Transition’.

Ms. Rao’s soulful vocals with Ms. Rodrigo’s piano tunes made for a magical performance. With that, The Hindu Huddle 2026 came to a poetic end.

The Hindu Huddle is presented by the Sami-Sabinsa Group as the Presenting Partner. The event is co-powered by the Government of Telangana and held in association with Khaja Bandanawaz University.

The event is further supported by Bank of Baroda, Larsen & Toubro, Apollo Hospitals, IIM Sirmaur, ICFAI Group, TAFE, Wizzmon, Uttarakhand Government, Associate Partners; Casagrand, Realty Partner; Toyota, Luxury Car Partner; Amity University Bengaluru, University Partner; Harrow International School Bengaluru, Education Partner; Meghalaya Tourism, State Partner; and NDTV 24x7, TV Partner.

Watch the full session here: