How Nauheed Cyrusi, Kranti Redkar and Analee Cerejo are going viral as aunties

Before Nauheed Cyrusi Kranti Redkar and Analee Cerejo collaborated on the viral ldquosociety auntiesrdquo trope they were already each otherrsquos fans Soon DMs and comments on each otherrsquos Instagram brought the trio together to create some of the most relatable content onlineIf you havenrsquot caught up with this trend yet itrsquos about those annoying society aunties and those nosy neighbours who gossip about everything and give unsolicited advice to youngstersThe trope may seemingly be a metaphorical version of those everopinionated Unclejis also the trio saysThe choice of trope was deliberate ldquoWe could have chased Gen Z trends too but this felt more authenticrdquo says Redkar The groundwork for the current collaboration was already somewhat there Cyrusi was making Reels about her Parsi mother and Cerejorsquos Catholic aunty mimicry had its own fan followingNauheed Cyrusi Analee Cerejo Kranti Redkar have been collaborating for over three months nowNow they bring together Parsi Hindu and Catholic cultures Cerejo explains ldquoItrsquos how people actually interact The gossip the judgmentmdashevery society has these charactersrdquoThe trio says that ever since they met to collaborate there was no competition no ego between them a seemingly rare dynamic in the world of influencers they explain ldquoNo fighting for lines or screen timerdquo says CyrusiThe response has been overwhelming ldquoAround 80 per cent love it because they see themselves or the people around themrdquo says Redkar The other 20 per cent ldquoThe actual aunties wersquore parodying who donrsquot get the jokerdquo says CerejoSometimes there is backlash too explains Cyrusi recalling an incident when she mentioned a specific Mumbai neighbourhood and her comments flooded with angry responses from local residents ldquoIt was just a joke but people still got offendedrdquo However working in the film industry and being an influencer often makes you develop thick skin ldquoSome people just want to be angryrdquo shrugs Cyrusi explaining itrsquos best to ldquoIgnore block and move onrdquoBut the upside is that they bump into folks like parents who say ldquoOur children watch your content while eatingrdquo says RedkarWhen asked about stereotypes they said theyrsquore highly mindful of boundaries But in reality the unsolicited advice we get from aunties and uncles rarely comes with a filter From being constantly asked about marriage and children to being told to avoid the sun to prevent a ldquodusky complexionrdquo the three have been on the receiving end of unsolicited ldquowisdomrdquo at some point in their lives ldquoWe avoid bodyshaming or meanspirited humourrdquo says Cerejo ldquoBut if an aunty would genuinely say something controversial wersquoll show that truthfullyrdquoWhen it comes to influencers people often say that their work is easy and it is not a ldquorealrdquo profession But Cerejo Redkar and Cyrusi say their creative process and workflow are disciplined ldquoWe brainstorm six to seven scripts meet to refine them then shoot three to four reels in one sessionrdquo explains Redkar Just like any art form improvisation happens ldquoWe develop most dialogue on the spot The spontaneity makes it freshrdquo adds CerejoBut beneath the fun humour and creativity lies subtle social commentary on the aunties and uncles ldquoOf course itrsquos for humour and entertainment but we want actual aunties to watch and think lsquomaybe I shouldnrsquot be so judgmentalrsquordquo says CyrusiWhen asked if playing ldquoauntiesrdquo aged characters could be risky for actors Cyrusi says ldquoIn Bollywood theyrsquod say wersquore too old for lead roles But here we control our narratives In one reel Irsquom a gossipy aunty the next Irsquom promoting a brand in full glam Thatrsquos freedomrdquoThe trio agrees that social media often leans towards being subtly if not overtly ageist ldquoEveryone uses filters to look like theyrsquore in their 20srdquo says Cerejo ldquoWe need more real faces like Sameera Reddy whorsquos open about postpartum changes and grey hairrdquo she adds Cyrusi agrees ldquoMy followers appreciate when I post makeupfree Authenticity always connectsrdquoBut through entertainment another goal is getting fulfilled mdashkeeping it real and as Cyrusi puts it ldquoWe are not just playing aunties We are preserving a cultural artefactrdquo