A Tale of Two Cities - I
Ennkka Chennai Pudichirukku
Often perceptions and notions are built on wrong foundation. Sooner they crumble to pieces, better the rumble results into some rewarding experiences.
Last week I paid a visit to Chennai, the city I left a year back. I believe and I hope it shouldn’t be my last visit to this mystic place. I vividly remember my maiden trip to Chennai to kick start my professional career. Perhaps I never had a more skewed perception about the place, people and region before actually going there. The numerous “knowledgeable” North Indian experiences had created enough negative impression in my mind to suggest that I won’t survive in this hellish place for more than a month.
On hindsight I give a grin to myself when I recollect and still hear that Chennaites are most inhospitable, arrogant people with strong anti-North Indian sentiments. Chennai as it is known for two specialties- Inhumanely hot weather and saline water. And perhaps those innumerable sarcastic smiles from mates and relatives on hearing that I am going to live in land of idli, dosa and sambhar didn’t do my confidence a world of good.
What I saw in Chennai that destroyed this perception is hard to say. It didn’t happen overnight nor did everything go hunky-dory for two years in this southern land. As a typical North Indian would, I landed Chennai with an apprehensive mindset expecting to bump into some snob Tamilians who would kick me out of the place first day itself. Such was my inflated anxiety level that I tried to camouflage my appearance so that nobody recognizes me that I am a North Indian. On first day itself I yearned to hear any soul speaking a word in Hindi or a face resembling a fairer look, suggesting that he/she is a North Indian. The Vasantha Bhavans, Sarvana Bhavans and Udupi eateries displaying bare cupboard in terms of staple diet of Roti and North Indian curry. The great Indian cultural divide was standing in front of me- bare chested and challenging my EQ, IQ and TQ( Tolerance Quotient). I can’t live in this place…No Way!!!!
Things turned even sour when most of my college mates left Chennai after initial two months of training period. Sense of jubilation, relief and ecstasy were written all over their place before leaving Chennai. After all who wanted to stay in this cursed land - The cool Bangalore weather, trendy Pune, downtown Kolkata, and Northie city of south Hyderabad were calling them with open arms. I was left behind to curse my ill fate and fight out this hostile environment. My alienation towards Chennai and Tamil speaking people grew to height of revulsion and hatred. The hard to pronounce localities of Thiruvanmyur, Purusvakkam, Thoraipakkam looked like dungeons.
Soon I was down with serious viral fever. And for the first time I realized cultural barrier can never super impose human qualities. My landlady and her family who can hardly speak a word in English, forget Hindi, was sitting there by my bedside day in day out. Doing my medication and nursing me through my physical and emotional vulnerability. I doubt whether she would have taken care of her son any better than what she did to me. The seemingly snob Tamilians in my office, whom I never bothered to interact with, were there by my side providing support.
During this period when I had nothing much to do, except watching Tamil channels aired on Television, I started interacting with my elderly land lady through sign language. I was speaking in English/Hindi. She was communicating in Tamil. Yet somehow we were able to follow what the other is saying. Human faces and gesture say a lot than what they appear to. My inclination towards reading proved to be an ideal foil for I picked up some of the wonderful Tamil literatures translated in English.
The best thing to come out during this phase was my revulsion towards Chennai soothed down a bit. With chance of moving out of this place looked slim, I readied myself to accept the land and the people. Thankfully with three of my friends ( the protagonists of my past blog “The Legacy of A-1 Raagamallika”) joining in, life took a U turn in Chennai. The more I interacted with Tamilians, the more I started liking them. Perhaps what struck me most were their humility, subtle wit and association with cultural roots. Most of them who later on became very good friends and some best friends of mine are as chill as anybody would be. It’s not the place but the people who make the place good or bad. The fond memories of Chennai are more because I kept on meeting some really interesting people one after another.
Interestingly when I landed Chennai, I was told it is land of three sexes: Males, Non Males and Females (who form 0.01% of entire population). Though the refrain is racist and at times irreverent and flippant, yet it is true. However, for me female percentage had far greater number for I had discovered some real hot joints in the heart of the city- Stella Marris, Ethiraj College, Loyola College, Bikes and Barrels, Sathyam Theatre and definitely Tidel Park on Fridays to name a few. And after all I never lived amongst up market Delhi or Mumbai crowd to set too high standards for myself.:-)
Chennai exudes prosperity in every nook and corner. The so called cursed city is admittedly best governed places in India with minimum of hassles in day to day life, unlike in other metros and big towns. The magnanimity of the city is bestowed in its “Spectra” Wide beautiful roads, smooth traffic, life size billboards and beaches. One thing that always rekindles my memory when I think of Chennai is zooming on top of the Gemini flyover on my bike with huge billboards of MRF , Sun TV and Hindu overlooking you. Its awesome experience!! If Mumbai is known for its high rises then Chennai has to be city of flyovers. Then there was always a Landmark and spacious Coffee Day in Nungambakkam or Cenotaph Road to fall back to when I needed a change.
However, the best place to unwind is ECR road. I can’t imagine cruising on any other Indian roads above 120 Kmph. If day is hot and sultry, the evenings are always temperate and cool. Driving on roads running alongside the Indian Ocean and in company with couple of crazy friends, scooting off to Pondicherry for a booze by the beachside- Those struggling days in Chennai were a distant memory.
I always heard that Chennaites hold a fervent view against Hindi speaking people. Surprisingly I never found them so. On the contrary I being the only Hindi speaking individual in my projects was always made comfortable in meetings or general discussions. There always used to be bet on whether I am able to learn Tamil faster or my Tamil mates learn Hindi quicker. While I struggled with “Yenga Irruka” ,“Apdiyaah”, and “Saapda Pollamaah” , these guys started speaking fluent Hindi including those rustic Bihari lingo “Boojhe“, “Burbak“ et al.
How can I miss out mentioning Chennai without referring to Rajnikanth fanatics. If ever there is something called Idol Worship or treating Hero as a God, then it has to be Rajni fans. Incidentally I was there when mega block buster Chandramukhi was released and can’t imagine a far more frenzied crowd. The experience of watching a Rajni movie in theatre in itself is riveting with the magnitude of preparation going into making the occasion look like a festival. I pity likes of AB and SRK - Whether they would ever receive such adulation for their movies, I doubt.
Chennai has to be the cultural capital of India. I never imagined that I would hold such strong affiliation towards theatres and drama before going to Chennai. Perhaps arts and dance for me was best reserved for late night slots on Doordarshan which nobody care to watch. I realized people genuinely appreciate their traditional dance and music. They never considered these less glamorous cultural diasporas as un-cool and non fashionable. Even most modern lot would associate themselves to cultural events.
On my latest visit, I found the city has grown better and bigger. Those lanes, which used to be my hangout, have added gloss to it.-Specially one across Tidel Park. The Beasant Nagar beach though more crowded still remains the hottest joint and definitely my favorite Landmark in Nungambakkam still remains readers’ paradise. More flyovers are sprouting up. And yes people are getting ready for Rajnikanth’s latest flick Sivaji is going to release.
For me neither a person can ever be perfect nor is a place. However, just as I try to chaff out negative traits of a person, I have started picking up positives of a place. I can never quantify what Chennai gave to me and how its experience has evolved me as a person. But one thing is sure, from an honest North Indian heart I say - I loved my stay in hot, hotter, hottest Chennai!!
Often perceptions and notions are built on wrong foundation. Sooner they crumble to pieces, better the rumble results into some rewarding experiences.
Last week I paid a visit to Chennai, the city I left a year back. I believe and I hope it shouldn’t be my last visit to this mystic place. I vividly remember my maiden trip to Chennai to kick start my professional career. Perhaps I never had a more skewed perception about the place, people and region before actually going there. The numerous “knowledgeable” North Indian experiences had created enough negative impression in my mind to suggest that I won’t survive in this hellish place for more than a month.
On hindsight I give a grin to myself when I recollect and still hear that Chennaites are most inhospitable, arrogant people with strong anti-North Indian sentiments. Chennai as it is known for two specialties- Inhumanely hot weather and saline water. And perhaps those innumerable sarcastic smiles from mates and relatives on hearing that I am going to live in land of idli, dosa and sambhar didn’t do my confidence a world of good.
What I saw in Chennai that destroyed this perception is hard to say. It didn’t happen overnight nor did everything go hunky-dory for two years in this southern land. As a typical North Indian would, I landed Chennai with an apprehensive mindset expecting to bump into some snob Tamilians who would kick me out of the place first day itself. Such was my inflated anxiety level that I tried to camouflage my appearance so that nobody recognizes me that I am a North Indian. On first day itself I yearned to hear any soul speaking a word in Hindi or a face resembling a fairer look, suggesting that he/she is a North Indian. The Vasantha Bhavans, Sarvana Bhavans and Udupi eateries displaying bare cupboard in terms of staple diet of Roti and North Indian curry. The great Indian cultural divide was standing in front of me- bare chested and challenging my EQ, IQ and TQ( Tolerance Quotient). I can’t live in this place…No Way!!!!
Things turned even sour when most of my college mates left Chennai after initial two months of training period. Sense of jubilation, relief and ecstasy were written all over their place before leaving Chennai. After all who wanted to stay in this cursed land - The cool Bangalore weather, trendy Pune, downtown Kolkata, and Northie city of south Hyderabad were calling them with open arms. I was left behind to curse my ill fate and fight out this hostile environment. My alienation towards Chennai and Tamil speaking people grew to height of revulsion and hatred. The hard to pronounce localities of Thiruvanmyur, Purusvakkam, Thoraipakkam looked like dungeons.
Soon I was down with serious viral fever. And for the first time I realized cultural barrier can never super impose human qualities. My landlady and her family who can hardly speak a word in English, forget Hindi, was sitting there by my bedside day in day out. Doing my medication and nursing me through my physical and emotional vulnerability. I doubt whether she would have taken care of her son any better than what she did to me. The seemingly snob Tamilians in my office, whom I never bothered to interact with, were there by my side providing support.
During this period when I had nothing much to do, except watching Tamil channels aired on Television, I started interacting with my elderly land lady through sign language. I was speaking in English/Hindi. She was communicating in Tamil. Yet somehow we were able to follow what the other is saying. Human faces and gesture say a lot than what they appear to. My inclination towards reading proved to be an ideal foil for I picked up some of the wonderful Tamil literatures translated in English.
The best thing to come out during this phase was my revulsion towards Chennai soothed down a bit. With chance of moving out of this place looked slim, I readied myself to accept the land and the people. Thankfully with three of my friends ( the protagonists of my past blog “The Legacy of A-1 Raagamallika”) joining in, life took a U turn in Chennai. The more I interacted with Tamilians, the more I started liking them. Perhaps what struck me most were their humility, subtle wit and association with cultural roots. Most of them who later on became very good friends and some best friends of mine are as chill as anybody would be. It’s not the place but the people who make the place good or bad. The fond memories of Chennai are more because I kept on meeting some really interesting people one after another.
Interestingly when I landed Chennai, I was told it is land of three sexes: Males, Non Males and Females (who form 0.01% of entire population). Though the refrain is racist and at times irreverent and flippant, yet it is true. However, for me female percentage had far greater number for I had discovered some real hot joints in the heart of the city- Stella Marris, Ethiraj College, Loyola College, Bikes and Barrels, Sathyam Theatre and definitely Tidel Park on Fridays to name a few. And after all I never lived amongst up market Delhi or Mumbai crowd to set too high standards for myself.:-)
Chennai exudes prosperity in every nook and corner. The so called cursed city is admittedly best governed places in India with minimum of hassles in day to day life, unlike in other metros and big towns. The magnanimity of the city is bestowed in its “Spectra” Wide beautiful roads, smooth traffic, life size billboards and beaches. One thing that always rekindles my memory when I think of Chennai is zooming on top of the Gemini flyover on my bike with huge billboards of MRF , Sun TV and Hindu overlooking you. Its awesome experience!! If Mumbai is known for its high rises then Chennai has to be city of flyovers. Then there was always a Landmark and spacious Coffee Day in Nungambakkam or Cenotaph Road to fall back to when I needed a change.
However, the best place to unwind is ECR road. I can’t imagine cruising on any other Indian roads above 120 Kmph. If day is hot and sultry, the evenings are always temperate and cool. Driving on roads running alongside the Indian Ocean and in company with couple of crazy friends, scooting off to Pondicherry for a booze by the beachside- Those struggling days in Chennai were a distant memory.
I always heard that Chennaites hold a fervent view against Hindi speaking people. Surprisingly I never found them so. On the contrary I being the only Hindi speaking individual in my projects was always made comfortable in meetings or general discussions. There always used to be bet on whether I am able to learn Tamil faster or my Tamil mates learn Hindi quicker. While I struggled with “Yenga Irruka” ,“Apdiyaah”, and “Saapda Pollamaah” , these guys started speaking fluent Hindi including those rustic Bihari lingo “Boojhe“, “Burbak“ et al.
How can I miss out mentioning Chennai without referring to Rajnikanth fanatics. If ever there is something called Idol Worship or treating Hero as a God, then it has to be Rajni fans. Incidentally I was there when mega block buster Chandramukhi was released and can’t imagine a far more frenzied crowd. The experience of watching a Rajni movie in theatre in itself is riveting with the magnitude of preparation going into making the occasion look like a festival. I pity likes of AB and SRK - Whether they would ever receive such adulation for their movies, I doubt.
Chennai has to be the cultural capital of India. I never imagined that I would hold such strong affiliation towards theatres and drama before going to Chennai. Perhaps arts and dance for me was best reserved for late night slots on Doordarshan which nobody care to watch. I realized people genuinely appreciate their traditional dance and music. They never considered these less glamorous cultural diasporas as un-cool and non fashionable. Even most modern lot would associate themselves to cultural events.
On my latest visit, I found the city has grown better and bigger. Those lanes, which used to be my hangout, have added gloss to it.-Specially one across Tidel Park. The Beasant Nagar beach though more crowded still remains the hottest joint and definitely my favorite Landmark in Nungambakkam still remains readers’ paradise. More flyovers are sprouting up. And yes people are getting ready for Rajnikanth’s latest flick Sivaji is going to release.
For me neither a person can ever be perfect nor is a place. However, just as I try to chaff out negative traits of a person, I have started picking up positives of a place. I can never quantify what Chennai gave to me and how its experience has evolved me as a person. But one thing is sure, from an honest North Indian heart I say - I loved my stay in hot, hotter, hottest Chennai!!
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