Happy birthday, Madras! From being one of the early settlements of the British East India Company in the 17th century, Chennai has grown into a vibrant megapolis. Though the city has undergone a massive change over these years, it has tried to maintain its cultural heritage.
As the city turns 377 today, we celebrate Madras’ rich diversity by talking to influential figures from different fields, and explore the elements that make the city what it is today. These veterans identify the evolution Chennai has shown over the years in different aspects.
KRA Narasaiah, historian
In the lanes and backyards of the Fort and old buildings like High Court, SBI HQ and GPO, you can still see the old Madras charm. The Port, with its characteristic aromas also retains its old beauty, though the scene looks like Madurai wall paintings sandblasted and redone by contemporary artists!
Today’s generation projects Madras as a place in which inter-cultural concepts meet. Now there are more sabhas and more knowledgeable young people. With the advent of electronic media, youngsters are aware of the past and the present. Intercultural concepts are still very much alive and appreciated. In addition to preserving heritage, it is necessary for us to stop destroying historical monuments through wanton interference. But I am glad celebrations like Madras Week are helping in raising the required awareness.
Parvathy Nayar, visual artist
Unlike the bygone era, I think it’s a very positive sign for artists today, that they are getting together to put up creative events like the Spoken Word. More Chennai-based creative talents are getting opportunities to showcase their work at shows such as the Chennai Photo Biennale, which has won a global fame. Initiatives like TM Krishna’s ‘Urur-Olcott Kuppam Margazhi Vizha’ take art to audiences in deepest corners, while theatre shows for children are also growing. We see a lot of talent expressing itself in the arena of rock and pop music, not to mention theatre — all of which are good markers to indicate we may be moving towards a culturally rich landscape here.
R. Revathi, a member of the Madras Week team
Social media has created a significant impact on people all over the world. In the Chennai context, it has helped people from various backgrounds with similar interests to come together. Today’s Chennai is being celebrated on the internet, as against the olden days. It is a space for people to express their love for the city by uploading images, blogging, highlighting Chennai on global map through their songs. It’s interesting that heritage enthusiasts and historians are using Facebook groups to conduct walks in the city.
Also, people can share something about a particular event in the city and bring out the best of it. It is linking people together. Through our website, themadrasday.in, we are motivating people to celebrate Madras week with pomp.
Sunil Menon, fashion Designer
I started working actively with the fashion industry in Chennai in the early 90s, when there very few shows compared to today. The designers, who were usually in small numbers, felt very lucky if they got a show. We’ve come a long way since then — the fashion industry has grown manifolds and is much more accessible than it ever was. Two decades ago, having a fashion show was a novelty because it was such a rarity. Today, with the younger generation travelling a lot across the world, the city has turned into a metropolitan area and is opening up to global cultures. Fashion has become a part of our everyday life — from the launch of a restaurants and popular brands to sporting events — there’s a fashion show for every occasion today. We have the same eye for traditions of the Tamil culture even today, but we aren’t that conservative anymore.
Dhananjayan Govind, film producer
Chennai was not only the birthplace of Tamil cinema; it has been the starting point of almost all the cinema of South India. Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam cinema have their roots in Chennai.
I would say technologically we have become very strong and economical. That’s the reason filmmakers from all over the world are coming to Chennai to get their work done. Other than that, we are very much the same, even in terms of genre. Tamil audiences are pretty conservative and traditional. Even if you show a couple living together, they have to get married before the film ends. So, in terms of story and genres we haven’t moved on. Chennai is not shooting-friendly anymore. So, filmmakers have started going to Hyderabad and Bengaluru.
(Inputs from Bhavana and Kirubhakar)
