SINGAPORE: She’s been a housewife for most of her life, not bringing home a salary. So it never crossed Naomi Krishnan’s mind that at almost 90 years old, she would not just be earning an income but paying her own medical bills.
The job? Acting, dancing and talking with her grandson on social media.
The two had always been close, with 28-year-old Ian Jeevan the favourite of Madam Krishnan’s eight grandchildren – and Mr Jeevan in turn confessing that as a child, he used to cry if he was away from her for too long.
And although most grandchildren might drift apart from their grandparents as they grow older and life gets in the way, Mr Jeevan and his maternal grandmother’s relationship is now stronger than it’s ever been – thanks to TikTok.
Mr Jeevan started becoming a content creator on the social media platform back in 2020, when it was rapidly gaining popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The financial consultant posts videos in both English and Tamil, spanning travel vlogs, skits, dance trends and livestreams.
After not seeing Mdm Krishnan for almost two months due to pandemic restrictions, Mr Jeevan thought he’d celebrate their reunion by doing a dance on TikTok together.
“She was very excited and ready to learn this new dance, and even applied lipstick before we started filming,”he recounted. “So that’s how it started, just a grandma and grandson doing a dance trend together.”
Speaking to CNA in Tamil, Mdm Krishnan, 89, admitted she was “shy and almost a bit embarrassed” when the camera started rolling. But her love for her grandson helped see it through.
Neither of them expected that first video to garner as many eyeballs as it did – 30,000 views.
“There were so many comments asking me to feature her more,” Mr Jeevan said.
Mdm Krishnan has since become a familiar face to Mr Jeevan’s almost 220,000 followers, joining her grandson to cook meals and explore new places.
“People would come up to us and say hi, sometimes asking for a picture,” said Mr Jeevan.
This happens when she’s alone too, said Mdm Krishnan, adding that the nurses at her medical appointments also recognise her.
