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Indian diplomat Petal Gahlot, who recently made headlines for her fiery rebuttal to Pakistan at the United Nations General Assembly, is now winning praise for something very different: her music. In May this year, Gahlot posted a short video on X (formerly Twitter) in which she strums her guitar and sings a soulful cover of “Kabira” from the Bollywood film Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. The clip quickly began circulating among her followers, many of whom said they were surprised and delighted to see the softer side of a career diplomat known for her crisp, hard-hitting speeches. In the video, Gahlot can be seen seated with an acoustic guitar, singing the popular song in a mellow, stripped-down style. Within hours, the tweet drew hundreds of likes and shares, with comments praising her voice and musicianship. The feeling of confusion, of being torn and of wanting everything and just one thing at the same time, encapsulated in this song from 12 years ago. A cover of ‘Kabira’ from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani pic.twitter.com/ASs7usWki2 — Petal Gahlot (@petal_gahlot) May 5, 2025 “Wow that’s some talent”, one user wrote. “Absolutely wonderful mam,” added the other. Gahlot, an officer of the 2015 batch of the Indian Foreign Service, has served in Paris and San Francisco and currently works with the Ministry of External Affairs. Born in New Delhi, Gahlot studied political science at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, before completing her master’s degree at Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi. Over the last decade, Gahlot has handled a range of assignments. She served as assistant secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, as third and second secretary at the Embassy of India in Paris, and as Consul at the Consulate General of India in San Francisco.
