From cooking to enjoying life: These senior citizens are YouTubers who celebrate life

YouTube has opened an arena for many to showcase their talents, without any age bar. These senior citizens, who enjoy incredible popularity in the social media platform, doesn’t shy away from expressing themselves in front of the camera.

Mary Joseph
Age: 73 years
Viewers: 1 million
A young photographer who came to shoot the quintessential 'save the date' pics of the engaged couple, next door, couldn’t help but notice the energetic Mary Joseph. A native of Muthanattu in Kanjirappally, Mary likes to wear the traditional Christian attire of chatta and mundu. The photographer was so impressed by Mary’s spectacular personality that he asked her whether she could do a dance number for the video. Mary gleefully grooved to the beats of the iconic song ‘Ra Ra Rasputin’. It didn’t take long for her video to become viral. Soon, Mary received an offer to act in a movie. However, she missed her chance to shine on the silver screen as her children didn’t quite like the idea. Shino Mathew, the owner of the YouTube channel Samsaram came looking for Mary who had become a viral sensation on the social media with her dance number. He asked her whether she could do a cookery show for him. Mary, who has a flair for cooking, prepared a delicious tamarind fish curry and roasted pearl spot for the channel. Her excellent cooking skills and amazing presentation style were the highlights of the videos that soon grabbed viewers. Moreover, her videos garnered hundreds of ‘likes’ and comments too. Mary likes driving and drives a car at this age, quite seamlessly. It was only a decade ago that Mary had learned driving. Besides, she had done a beautician’s course too. This septuagenarian is busy with her super-hit cooking show and enjoys doing organic farming in her backyard vegetable patch.

Thettiyil Mathew Varkey
Age: 87 years
Viewers: 264 K
Mathew Varkey has always nurtured a special bond with Mathematics even though he hadn’t been to school. Varkey, who hails from Kannur, is proud when he says that he has been working really hard to earn a living since he was 12 years old. His beef fry cooked in freshly ground pepper and beef roast have struck a chord with Malayalis who are known for their love for beef dishes. Varkey who is lovingly called ‘Chachan’ used to run a way side eatery for four almost four years before the Covid-19 outbreak. He used to make the two ends meet by farming at his own land and also working as a stone mason and doing timber works. He also worked as a labourer to earn an extra income. Varkey is an artist who makes decorative show pieces using things that are thrown away. One day, he decided to make cement figurines. Even though he didn’t succeed in the first attempt, Varkey managed to make beautiful art works using cement in his next attempt. He built a lotus pond and other decorative figures like cockerel and crane that could be used as fountains in the garden. Next, he tried his hands in making interlocking bricks. As these bricks gained demand, he developed it into a lucrative business. Chachan had to pull the shutter on his wayside eatery during the lockdown period. However, Chachan continues to entertain his viewers with his splendid recipes and amazing stories on YouTube.

Treasa Joseph
Age: 80 years
Viewers: 101 K
Treasa Joseph’s cooking videos have a unique visual charm that her viewers often say that they enjoy meals while watching them. She specialises in making tasty pickles using unusual ingredients like orange peel, apple and yam. Treasa Joseph Ebra, a native of Ernakulam has Portuguese roots. Not just pickles, the videos of her grilled items too are extremely popular. Besides cooking, doing beautiful embroidery designs is her favourite pastime. Moreover, she recycles materials by making decorative items from them. Treasa says that she stays healthy by engaging in activities that give her happiness and satisfaction. She is thrilled that people have begun recognizing her ever since her videos became hits. “Age is just a number. You should fill your life with happiness by doing what you like. There are lots of people who have many hidden talents. So, I wish that everyone come out and show their talents,” says Treasa.