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CM Vijay gifts his Dior sunglasses to elderly woman, sweet gesture goes viral: ‘Looked just like in movies’

The old woman, overwhelmed with joy following Vijay's gesture, said that he looked “just like he does in his movies”.

Updated on: Sep 1, 2026, 20:38:35 IST
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Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay may have quit acting and his on-screen life, but his stardom and connect with people still remain a key highlight of his new political career, a glimpse of which was on display when he made an impromptu stop during his official duties and made the day of an old woman with his sweet gesture — gifting her his sunglasses.

Chellam recalled that Vijay asked her if she had eaten. “I told him I hadn't, because I was waiting to see him first”. (Screengrab from X/PTI)
Chellam recalled that Vijay asked her if she had eaten. “I told him I hadn't, because I was waiting to see him first”. (Screengrab from X/PTI)

Vijay was in Salem on Tuesday, where he conducted inspection of the Mettur hydroelectric power station and opened the sluice gates of the Stanley Reservoir at Mettur to facilitate agricultural activities.

Later on his way to the airport, he made a stop which was not part of his schedule — a roadside farm house.

Also read: ‘Cauvery our legal right’: Tamil Nadu CM Vijay opens Mettur dam for Samba rice cultivation, drinking water needs

He stepped down and walked towards a group a elderly women working in a field there to greet them, one of whom was Chellam.

As Vijay's convoy attracted crowd, Chellam also moved towards him to get a better view of who he was. Once she realised, she held Vijay's hand. Together, both of them took a walk around the garden area as Vijay asked her name and checked on her well-being.

Then, in a real-life hero-like fashion, he reached for his Christian Dior sunglasses and placed them on her eyes, even as he hesitated. With little persuading, she let him. The moment, according to Chellam, was like winning a "crore of rupees."

Vijay then went to a cattle shed owned by local farmer Palanisamy and interacted with people there during his short 15-minute stop.

‘Looked just like he does in his movies’

Chellam, overwhelmed with joy following Vijay's gesture, said that he looked “just like he does in his movies”.

Also read: Woman’s dismembered body found in overhead tanks of Tamil Nadu houses: Cops

“I was so happy I told him I would defend him if anyone ever tried to harm him,” she said, as quoted by news agency PTI.

Chellam recalled that Vijay asked her if she had eaten. “I told him I hadn't, because I was waiting to see him first”.

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

“I was so surprised that he suddenly came here. I used to hate when someone would beat him in movies,” Chellam said.

During Vijay's visit, in which he also distributed gifts such as dhotis and sarees to the host family, he also discussed agricultural matters with them.

However, overwhelmed with joy of meeting Vijay and his gesture for her, Chellam forgot to mention the hardships she is facing, including losing her ration card, inability to do physical labour due to old age and dependency on a modest monthly allowance just to buy food, the report said.

But the gesture deeply moved Chellam and became a memory that she said will never forget.

  • Nikita Sharma
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Nikita Sharma

    Nikita Sharma is a Senior Content Producer with Hindustan Times. She is a Delhi-based digital journalist with five years of experience writing and editing news stories across beats including crime, politics, tech, trends and much more, both national and international. At Hindustan Times, she is part of the news team and focuses on breaking news, keeping a track of what is happening where, and chasing ever-developing news stories. She has a penchant for covering crime, geopolitics, and Indian politics with a keen eye for stories often overlooked in the daily news cycle. At Hindustan Times, she has extensively covered several key events including the US Presidential elections, Air India plane crash, Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, US’ tariff war, and others. As a Delhi aficionado, she particularly enjoys roaming and writing about the national capital — its heritage, food, art and culture, and the many problems that come with it — the pollution, waterlogging, traffic, and more. Nikita did her Bachelor in Journalism and Mass Communication from GGSIPU and started working as a digital journalist in 2021. During her first stint, she covered hyperlocal news at a Delhi-based newsroom, writing and editing stories on builder-buyer conflicts, civic issues such as potholes, waterlogging, lack of facilities at hospitals in Delhi, crippling of the city during peak monsoon season. She also wrote features covering Delhi’s art exhibitions, heritage walks, artist profiles, museums, classical Hindustani music concerts and dance shows. She entered mainstream news in 2023 and has previously worked at NDTV.Read More

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