She might not have had a birth certificate to prove her identity, but Mastanamma's lip-smacking recipes were enough to make her name known across the world. This 107-year-old, who was the oldest YouTuber in the world, came to the limelight when her grandson and friends started a YouTube channel for her. The centenarian recently passed away in her hometown,Gudiwada, and we talked to Srinath Reddy best friend of Lakshman and the young man behind the channel’s success about what’s next. Exerpts:
What inspired you to start a channel for Mastanamma? Whose idea was it?
I’m best friends with Lakshman, who is Mastanamma’s great-grandson. A few years ago, we visited his village Gudiwada near Tenali and that was when I met Mastanamma for the first time. She cooked us a delicious brinjal curry and that was when the idea of starting a YouTube channel hit me.
Did you expect that this channel would be a hit?
No. Not at all! It was totally unexpected.
Did Mastanamma know that she was this big a YouTube Star?
Yes, she did. Six months after starting the channel, she made a watermelon Chicken Curry which went viral and it caught the attention of a lot of people around the world. She also became very famous in her village and many people started visiting her.
Why isn’t there a Birth Certificate to prove her age?
Hahaha. She was born before Independence. So those days it was very difficult to get the Birth Certificate
Many have compared her with big names like Gordon Ramsay. How do you feel about this?
We feel very happy and proud. The BBC, Al Jazeera and a few Japanese reporters have also come down to our village to interview her. Everyone knows Gudiwada because of Mastanamma.
What are a few memories about Mastanamma that you’d like to share?
Every day with her was memorable. She was very active and energetic. Her smile was really beautiful. Right now we’re shooting a video and she’s being missed so much.
Are her recipes available for the public?
We are going to upload her recipes on our channel very soon.
What have you planned to do with the channel now?
We are introducing Mastanamma’s sister, Bharathi. She is around to 100 years old. She is will be introduced on our channel from next week. She looks exactly like Mastanamma and she is also very active and energetic like her sister. Also, she’s an awesome cook. I am sure that people all over the world will enjoy this new show.