Aunty Sheila’s alter ego
Aunty Sheila has been making her voice heard on social media. Her make-up is always done to perfection, because her husband thinks she looks like a doll and she boasts just about anything. JOLENE MARRIAH chats to Durban based Theshen Naicker, who is the f
Q: Who is Aunty Sheila and what inspired you to create this character?
Aunty Sheila is a 58-yearold Tamil woman who values her culture. She is a mother of two professionally qualified sons – a doctor and an actuary. She is very boastful about her sons’ accomplishments. She is a wife to her darling husband who is the light in her life. My maternal grandmother has been my greatest source of inspiration throughout the character development of Aunty Sheila. She was a vibrant individual who never minced her words. Just like Aunty Sheila, she was a comic by nature.
Q: Are people liking her on Facebook?
The response has truly been so overwhelming. In just under a month since the page has been created, it has received 45 000 likes with over 280 000 views on certain videos. People from all over the world have fallen in love with Aunty Sheila, messaging her every day, thanking her for being a comic relief in their stressful lives. Aunty Sheila has had messages and e-mails from the UK, America, Australia and China, but her biggest fan base outside of South Africa has to be in Singapore and Malaysia. I have loaded eight videos, and it’s just under a month since I started the Aunty Sheila page.
Q: There have been negative comments regarding stereotyping. What are your views on this?
There will always be positive and negative feedback. As a performing artist over many years I have learnt to appreciate and respect both positive and negative criticism. We must acknowledge the beauty in our culture and the many colourful characters that we encounter in our community, Aunty Sheila being one of those colourful characters. However, the positive feedback and comments far outweigh the negative and this bears testament to the appetite of the viewers enjoying Aunty Sheila’s videos.
Q: You seem to enjoy dressing for the role.
The character was created by myself in 2011. Being a bridal stylist in South Africa for almost a decade, it is only natural that my love for beauty and styling would spill on to the character.
Q: Is comedy something new for you or has it always been an interest?
Comedy is in my bones. I love to laugh and make people laugh. Through all of my personal difficulties in life I have always used laughter as a means of relaxation.
Q: What’s next for Aunty Sheila?
Honestly, this has become bigger than I expected. There have been so many offers – radio, TV, movies, but I’m being very careful in protecting Aunty Sheila’s future. The one definite step for Aunty Sheila is to return to stage, where it all started – a grand performance.
Q: What are your hobbies?
I love cooking. Being creative is who I am born to be, and to my family I’m their creative chef. Q: Family life? I’m a very family oriented person. My family is my life, they mean the world to me. My mum is my rock, my best friend, my superhero. My dad is someone who is just the most helpful and loving father, the rational individual in my life. My sister and her hubby with their kids are the smiles in my heart and of course my partner of seven years is my constant mirror, helping me understand myself better. We always enjoy huge noisy family gatherings at home, bursting with love.
Q: Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
A very happy man who has understood the purpose of life... which is a life of purpose.
• Watch Aunty Sheila on our Facebook page, POST Newspaper