Mid-day Lunchbox: Nauheed Cyrusi, Analee Cerejo on aceing the influencer game in the Gen-Z age

Analee Cerejo and Nauheed Cyrusi

Analee Cerejo does a quick impression of Nauheed Cyrusi while we are waiting at Nava, Bandra's new-age eatery on SV Road. She also decides on the table's meal, making sure to order fish to suit Cyrusi's pescatarian diet. A few minutes later, Cyrusi arrives in almost the exact manner Cerejo enacted for us. When handed the menu, she flips straight to the desserts remarking that we should start with the best dishes first. But haven't we already begun on the best note, sitting down with two women who are leading ladies of their own lives? Cyrusi, known for her appearance in the iconic Piya basanti music video (2000), picks up her phone spontaneously to record snippets of her day. The potential for honesty is what drew her to social media. Similarly, Cerejo is not afraid to put her true self on screen. Always the mimic in the room, she's observant and will not shy away from putting her skill on display. Check them out in unplugged mode as they talk about content, life and everything in between.

Analee Cerejo and Nauheed Cyrusi

Edited excerpts from the interview.

Tanishka D'Lyma: You are both Bombay girls who made your way into this industry without any backing...
Nauheed Cyrusi: It was by chance. Back in the day, I started modelling; then, Piya basanti happened, and my life changed. After that, I completed my graduation and then, as they say, the rest is history.
Analee Cerejo: Since I was a kid, I would imitate professors and family members. So I always had it in me. But it all started during the pandemic. I normally sail with my husband, but they stopped allowing family to join the crew onboard. So every week in 2020, I would put out a mimicry video - I call it ‘quarantainment'. Suddenly, one video went viral; it was when I tried to mimic Arnab Goswami for the first time. That video will always be close to my heart because of the effort I put into it. Then the Jaya Bachchan video happened around November last year. After that, I started getting recognised by people.
NC: My favourite impression is Analee mimicking Rakhi Sawant. I even wrote on one of her posts that she sounds more like Rakhi than Rakhi ever will.

Sea Bass

TD (to Analee): Was content creation ever on your mind before the pandemic?
AC: No. Had I sailed with my husband and been at sea, I would not have been doing this. The only reason I started it [mimicry on social media] was because I was stuck at home for a good eight months. So to keep my sanity, I said, ‘Chalo, I'll give this a try.'

After the early desserts - Michaelangelo's David and The cacao leaf, the food arrives. We start with the kokum prawns, tuna tataki and sea bass ceviche, and then move on to sea bass and salmon for the main course.

Bok Choy Tacos

TD: What food did you both grow up on and what were your favourites?
AC: I can live on chaat every day. I will say it in the Gen Z way - ‘Chaat is life.' But you must taste my sausage pulao. I will make it using prawns just for you, Nauheed.
NC: The food of my childhood is yellow tur dal without tadka, with chawal and achar.

TD: What do accessibility and the power to create your own content on social media mean to you in your journeys?
NC: I think it's a great time for creators; why not give an opportunity to everyone? Why should we only leave this space for someone who appears on television?
AC: Opportunity, yes. I could put out a video that someone may love and tomorrow, if they choose to collaborate with me, it could change my life. But yes, the effort and talent need to justify that opportunity.

Tuna Tataki

TD: What content resonates with you, and that you focus on for your audience?
AC: Spreading happiness and good vibes. There is a lot of humour attached to what I do. You may like it, or you may not, but it's heartwarming to get messages like ‘I've had such a hard day but your video made me laugh'.
NC: I like to be connected and hands-on with my followers. I am often asked if this is how I really am in person. And that's the thing I missed in acting - the chance to be very honest. I have no filter on and off camera.

Kokum Prawns. Pics/Shadab Khan

Quick takes

A trend you will not follow on social media.
AC: Anything that promotes violence masked as humour, such as pranks where you hit someone on the head, add that funny audio and run away, or throw water on someone's face and run away.
NC: Those funny videos I see around my colony where they shout, "Tune kya kiya - Maine kya kiya." Actually, now that I'm saying that, I do want to barge into their video and join them.

A social media platform in pre-Instagram era that you miss.
NC: ICQ Chat
AC: Instagram is enough, but before that there was Facebook and Orkut

Describe yourself as a dish.
AC: Pani puri
NC: Gulab jamun

What's in your lunchbox when you're working?
AC: Ribbon sandwich
NC: Chocolate