Video: PM Modi and Italian PM Meloni's new viral moment ft. Melody toffees

It couldn’t get sweeter than this. Literally. Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted his Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni a pack of Melody toffees, in what appeared to be a playful nod to the viral “#Melodi” expression widely used online for the two leaders. In a light-hearted video posted online during Modi’s ongoing visit to Italy, the two premiers were seen smiling and chuckling as the Indian Prime Minister, dressed in a blue bandhgala suit, handed over a bag of iconic Melody candies to Meloni, wearing a white suit. “Thank you for the gift,” the Italian Prime Minister wrote while sharing the clip on X. Read Full Story In the video, Meloni could also be heard saying, “He gifted...a very, very good toffee,” as the two leaders laughed over the exchange. The clip quickly went viral online, clocking nearly a million views along with over 60,000 reactions and around 5,000 comments within an hour of being posted. The moment instantly exploded across social media platforms, where users described it as “the ultimate #Melodi crossover”. Within minutes, screenshots, memes and edited clips flooded X and Instagram, with many praising Modi’s apparent awareness of one of the internet’s most enduring political memes. The “#Melodi” phenomenon has been building for nearly three years now. The phrase, combining Modi and Meloni’s surnames, first gained major traction during the COP28 Summit in Dubai in 2023, when Meloni posted a selfie with the Indian Prime Minister captioned: “Good friends at COP28 #Melodi.” That single post triggered a meme fest online, with users across India and Italy joking about the leaders’ friendly rapport and turning “Melodi” into a viral social media brand of its own. Since then, nearly every public interaction between the two leaders has generated online buzz. Whether it was their meetings at the G7 Summit, bilateral engagements on the sidelines of global forums, or informal moments caught on camera, the internet continued to revive the hashtag with fan edits, jokes and reaction posts. For many Indian users, the moment carried an added layer of nostalgia. Melody is one of India’s most recognisable confectionery brands and has long occupied a space in Indian popular culture. Manufactured by Parle Products, the caramel-and-chocolate candy became hugely popular through its famous line: “Melody itni chocolaty kyun hai?” The slogan remains instantly recognisable across Indian generations and deeply embedded in pop culture and internet humour. The viral #Melodi moment came during PM Modi’s visit to Rome for the fifth and final leg of his five-nation diplomatic tour. Shortly after arriving in the Italian capital, the Prime Minister met Meloni over dinner and later accompanied her to the iconic Colosseum. Modi also received a warm welcome from the Indian diaspora in Rome and thanked the community for its contribution towards strengthening India-Italy ties. Behind the social media frenzy, the visit carries significant diplomatic weight. India and Italy are expected to deepen cooperation in trade, defence, maritime security, connectivity and strategic sectors during bilateral talks between the two leaders. Ends