‘I was so happy’: Vijay gifts Dior sunglasses to elderly woman during surprise stop

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay surprised an elderly woman during an unscheduled stop in Salem on Tuesday, gifting her his Christian Dior sunglasses in a moment that has since drawn widespread attention on social media.

Vijay was in Salem to open the gates of the Mettur Dam for the release of water for Samba paddy cultivation in the Cauvery Delta. After visiting the Mettur hydroelectric power station, he made an unexpected stop at a roadside farmhouse while heading towards the Salem airport.

Vijay meets elderly woman at farmhouse

The Chief Minister noticed a group of elderly women working in nearby fields and stepped out of his vehicle to meet them. As people gathered around the convoy, an elderly woman named Chellam approached Vijay and held his hand.

"He asked me if I had eaten," Chellam recalled. "I told him I hadn't, because I was waiting to see him first," she said.

Vijay spoke to her about her well-being and asked her name before walking with her around the garden area and the farmhouse owned by local farmer Palanisamy.

During the visit, Vijay took off his own sunglasses and offered them to Chellam. He eventually placed the glasses on her himself after she initially hesitated.

‘He looked just like he does in his movies’

Chellam said the interaction left her delighted.

"He looked just like he does in his movies," she said, adding, "I was so happy I told him I would defend him if anyone ever tried to harm him."

Vijay, who heads the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, spent around 15 minutes at the farmhouse. He also handed over dhotis and sarees to the host family and spoke about local agricultural matters, including the recent increase in milk procurement prices to Rs 44.

Viral moment leaves woman emotional

Chellam later said that the excitement of meeting Vijay meant she forgot to tell him about some of the difficulties she faces, including a lost ration card and her inability to undertake heavy physical work because of her age.

As Vijay's convoy left, she remained moved by the encounter.

"He told me he had already eaten and insisted that I go and eat," she later told reporters.

Videos of the interaction have since circulated widely on social media, with the sunglasses gesture becoming the most talked-about part of Vijay's brief stop.