PM Modi asked about viral 'Melodi' memes with Italy's PM Meloni: Here’s what he said on Nikhil Kamath’s podcast

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a podcast with Zerodha founder Nikhil Kamath, spoke about the viral "Melodi memes" featuring him and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

When asked by Kamath if he had come across the memes, Modi brushed it off, saying, "Wo toh chalta rehta hai" (That’s just how things go). He also mentioned that he doesn't spend time thinking about online chatter, saying, "I don’t waste time on memes."

Not a foodie, says Modi

During the discussion, Kamath brought up the topic of food, prompting PM Modi to share his simple approach to eating. He said, "I’m not a foodie, whatever is served in any country I eat happily."

Reflecting on his habits, he added, "If someone gives me a menu, I won’t be able to decide what to eat. I’m not a foodie."

Modi shared an interesting memory from his early days working for the Sangh. He revealed how he relied on the late Arun Jaitley to help him order food at restaurants. "I don't know if the dish that is mentioned in the menu and the food in front of me are the same thing. I do not have knowledge, I am ignorant because I have not developed that tendency. So I don't understand much about it, so I always used to ask Arun ji to order food for me, it just needed to be vegetarian," he explained.

Learning Hindi through tea sales

The Prime Minister also spoke about his childhood days, particularly his experience selling tea at a railway station. He shared how this shaped his language skills. "People ask me, 'You’re Gujarati, how do you know Hindi?' I’d tell them, 'I learnt it while talking to vendors at the station,'" he said.

The viral "Melodi memes"

The "Melodi memes" went viral after a video from the G7 Summit in Italy showed Modi and Giorgia Meloni sharing a light-hearted moment. The clip, which featured the two leaders laughing together, became an internet sensation.

Following the summit, Meloni posted the video on social media, captioning it, "Hello from the Melodi team." Modi responded with a tweet saying, "Long live India-Italy friendship!"