“Hello from the ‘Melodi’ team”, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in a video posted to social media on Saturday, waving next to her fellow right-wing leader Modi, beaming a wide grin.
He wrote he had meetings with Meloni to bolster ties “in areas like commerce, energy, defence, telecoms and more”.
But in India, it was the short Modi-Meloni video that grabbed attention on Sunday – fuelling a flurry of memes and videos on social media dedicated to the fictional relationship between the two leaders.
In that make-believe world, the leaders have become central characters of an internet love story that has betrayals and heartaches as well as happy moments.
AI-generated videos watched by millions show Modi crooning a love song every time Meloni appears with a political leader other than him.
But newspapers were also deeply critical and swift to cool temperatures down.
“Like other women in high offices, Meloni is being seen through a male prism – hot or not?” the Times of India’s editorial read.
“No matter how influential she is, no matter what she knows or becomes, a woman can always be subjected to such demeaning framing,” it added.
“As the Meloni discourse shows, old-fashioned misogyny dies hard.”
Abhinav Thawait is a globe-trotting correspondent with a passion for international affairs. With a background in international relations, he offers a global perspective on the most pressing issues around the world. Abhinav’s curiosity takes his to the far corners of the earth, where he seeks to share untold stories and diverse viewpoints.
