Weekends make a city come alive. And though you might fret at the traffic and fast-depleting parking spots, Chennai is abuzz with activity, come Friday night. Pub hopping is mandatory. Tickets for the latest mass blockbuster are sold out in a blink. Beaches are bustling. Stand-up comedy, art and theatre, each have their own distinct stage and following. We have seasonal draws where people from other cities and even countries fly out like the longstanding Margazhi festival and more recently, the Covelong Classic Surf, Music and Fitness Festival at Kovalam. And if you’re seeking a solo adventure, there are myriad experiences to sign up for from parkour to pole dancing.
But it wasn’t always this way. And as we look back over years gone by, for a sense of just how much of a transformation has taken place — a wave of nostalgia comes over us. It also seems like the perfect opportunity to hear from familiar faces who call Chennai home and grew up in different decades, walking down the same streets except with an entirely different view.
We time travel with dancer Anita Ratnam back to the ’60s to find ourselves headed to Mount Road. It’s so long ago that Spencer Plaza isn’t even on the map yet. But we are going shopping nevertheless and... to the movies. “I remember going to Sapphire Theatre, which was all the rage back then. And, of course, Eskimo ice cream parlour after. If one wanted to buy some interesting fabric with bright prints to stitch something fashionable like bell bottom pants which was the trend, you went to India Silk House.” Where was a good spot for dinner? We are curious. “There were no five-star hotels at the time. I think there was one place called Queen’s hotel, which served Chinese food, and this was very exciting,” she responds with a smile.
We jump timelines to the ’80s next. This time, dentist and popular theatre actor, Yohan Chacko, is playing tour guide. “For me, t h e we e ke n d a lw ay s m e a n t Marina Beach. A quick getaway for some sun, sand and frolic.” Yohan would visit his aunt in Chennai over the school holidays before he moved to Chennai from Kuttanad and it quickly became home, in his late teens. Fast forward to 2023, and his trips to the beach look a little different. “I am either surfing at Kovalam or sport fishing from Chennai port,” he shares. Apart from the live gigs, stand-up and plays on stage that he enjoys or is acting in, other highlights of a Sunday out include, “mystery rooms to test your powers of deduction and going airborne at the trampoline park on Khader Nawaz Khan Road.” On that note, it’s time to spring into the ’90s...
New mom and baker Cindana Manickavel, who you might recognise from her brand, Sugar Monkeys, tells us that growing up in the ’90s was all about spending time with cousins and grandparents. “We would go to the circus, MGM Dizzee World and the Crocodile Park and, of course, out to eat. I remember some of my favourite spots were Liu’s Waldorf and Rangis for Chinese food and oh yes, Ambassador Pallava.” Today she contrasts, “It’s very different. There’s a new coffee shop or restaurant opening almost every day!” And honestly, can you even remember what ordering in looked like pre-food delivery apps?
Anita jumps in with some food for thought. “Today, you can get the food of our ancestors like Karupatti Coffee Millet Dosai on speed dial but at the same time as a single woman, I can go out to several places for a glass of wine and sushi, quite comfortably.” Saturday nights in Chennai certainly have come a long, long way. And we haven’t even touched upon ter race kutcheris or Tinder dates yet.
Namma Chennai, as you can tell from our journey through time, is a city that is up for anything. So, what are you up to next weekend? — Sonali Shenoy From tranquil beach strolls and temple visits to surf festivals, indie music and pole dancing, no two Sundays look alike in our dynamic city. We travel back in time to compare notes with people who take us down the same streets... over different decades