Chennai Heritage-Madras Musings Lecture Series for Madras Week 2024

The Madras Musings Madras Day 2024 programmes began on Saturday, August 17 and continued till August 25. We give below a brief report on the events.

August 17 : Forgotten Games of Chennai, by Vinita Sidhartha.

To the speaker, board games of the historic kind have long been a passion. She has spent several years researching them and resurrected several of these for transfer on to the modern board format. Kreeda, the entity that she has set up to propagate traditional games maintained open house throughout Madras Week this year for visitors to play these games. It was therefore appropriate that Madras Week events began at the bright premises of Kreeda. Vinita Sidhartha made a presentation on how she has gone about her work and gave details of a few games that she discovered at temples in and around the city, and also under the famed butter ball at Mamallapuram. After the talk those present were treated to traditional Chennai snacks and then proceeded to the games area. Over the course of the week Kreeda saw a steady influx of visitors who tried their luck at the games that their grandmothers would have been pros at.

August 18: Chennai’s Ecology – Drab, Mysterious or Baffling? Talk by Jayashree Vencatesan.
A cozy group gathered at the lovely Hanu Residences at Poes Garden to hear Dr Jayashree Vencatesan speak about Chennai’s ecology. When Sriram V made the introductions, he promised the audience that they were in for a treat, the speaker being an expert famous for turning common beliefs on their head. It is safe to say that the ensuing presentation lived up to these words of praise – Dr Jayashree’s witty talk on the city’s ecological personality was a breath of fresh air amidst the virtuously despondent narratives that tend to plague the topic.

Dr Jayashree explained that Chennai has an incredibly diverse ecology that deviates from the layman’s ideal of lush greenery, earning it a rather unfair accusation of being dry, arid land. Apart from trees and waterbodies like lakes and rivers, the city’s landscape also has wetlands, grasslands, hillocks, and of course, an enviable coastline. The Chennai we know, she said, was quite literally built upon a foundation of water – an astonishing fact that deserves not celebration, but introspection. Pointing out that the city’s natural treasures deserved to be cherished and protected, Dr. Jayashree regaled the audience with anecdotes from her work in ecological conservation and policy. Did you know for instance, that somewhere in Chennai thrives a small copse of sandalwood trees? Or that Dr Jayashree’s team has recently spotted a salt-resistant species of wild rice growing in the city? Or – and this came as a surprise to everyone present – that the blackbucks in the IIT campus are dying out from the loss of grassland, thanks to energetic tree planting? (Dr Jayashree’s remark on what she saw as a maudlin sentiment for greenery was very funny indeed – at one point, she earnestly suggested that (some) environmentalists are prone to hysterics.) Dr. Jayashree concluded her talk with mention of a book in waiting in the wings.

August 19: The DakshinaChitra experience – Dr. Deborah Thiagarajan in conversation with Sriram V.

When Deborah Thiagarajan moved to India in the 1960s to work with women from rural and underprivileged backgrounds, one thing became glaringly obvious to her – colonialism was still around. Among the marginalised communities she interacted with, she found that artisans and craftspeople were especially disenfranchised. In urban circles, Indian crafts were often overlooked or dismissed, with Western trends dominating the cultural landscape. This realisation ignited in Deborah a desire to create a space where Indian art and craft could not only survive, but flourish.
Her wedding to Raj Thiagarajan played a significant role in shaping her vision. Whilst spending time in his ancestral home at Chettinad, she was deeply inspired by the rich craft traditions that were an integral part of the Chettiar legacy.

Deborah knew that her objective demanded a deeper academic understanding of heritage. She pursued a degree in Art History from the University of Pennsylvania, complementing her background in anthropology. With this, she found herself ready to create her dream space – a place where South Indian cultural heritage could be preserved, celebrated, and allowed to thrive. Deborah and her peers shared an unwavering commitment to this grand vision, which would go on to manifest in reality as the DakshinaChitra heritage museum. Although Chennai has a few museums, DakshinaChitra stands out in terms of footfall.

August 20: Talking books on YouTube: The RJ Ananthi story.

“We’re all told to think before speaking. I started speaking before thinking”, admitted Ananthi Iyappan, popularly known among the chronically-online circles as RJ Ananthi, about the nature of her work as a radio jockey. “But beyond a point, I didn’t know what to talk about, hence I started reading.”

What started as a modest attempt at learning has landed Ananthi in her most recognisable avatar- one of the leading booktubers in the state, with 174k followers on Instagram and 718k subscribers on her YouTube channel, ‘The Book Show by Ananthi’.

When met with the professional challenge of transitioning from a YouTube channel, where Ananthi started her career as an RJ, interviewing people on a range of topics from Badam to cancer to SD card, she was uncertain what to discuss next, and more importantly, where to do it. That’s when Parithabangal-fame Gopi and Sudhakar suggested that she talk about books. As a result, The Book Show was born.

Navigating naysayers, partnering with her collaborator Reghuram to organise a team of technicians, dabbling her feet in the world of influencing to sustain her channel, and dealing with negative criticism are just a few of the tasks Ananthi has undertaken, and continues to manage, to keep her channel, and her passion, thriving.

Making around 12 videos each month, Ananthi has an impressive appetite and pace for reading. However, she admits, one day, devoid of the pressures of running a YouTube channel, she wishes to delve into the world of classics, once she can afford the luxury of time and patience they demand.

August 21: Queering Madras: Panel discussion on the LGBTQIA+ issues.

As part of Madras Week celebrations, five LGBTQIA+ activists discussed the struggles and victories of the queer community in the city.
The discussion began with L. Ramakrishnan, a queer rights advocate, summarising the history of the LGBTQIA+ community in Madras and India from the seventies to the present. The panel addressed key issues such as the lack of understanding of various gender and sexual identities, insufficient sensitisation among stakeholders, over-medicalisation of homosexuals following the AIDS epidemic, bullying in schools and colleges, and the absence of safe spaces in Chennai for queer people to embrace community without alcohol or sex. One of the panellists, Meera Sundararajan also highlighted progress in legal and policy spheres.

When a person identifies as trans or as a part of the LGBQ community, it is easy for them to be reduced to their gender or sexuality. “We are humans first; our identities come later”, emphasised Fred Rogers, a trans and queer affirmative counsellor. There are struggles, both micro and macro, in asserting oneself. For starters, when a queer person comes out, it is not a one-time event, but a recurring process with each new interaction. One hopes that the activity gets easier over time.

Jaya, a trans activist and GM of Sahodaran, mentioned that the primary struggle for any trans woman is overcoming low self-esteem. “How can you take on the world, when you are fighting your own self-esteem? Confidence comes from self-acceptance”, mentioned Jaya. She played a key role in petitioning the Greater Chennai Corporation to light up the Ripon Building in rainbow colours on June 30th, marking a historic move as the first public building in India to do so in honour of Pride Month.

While around six Indian states already have transgender policies, Tamil Nadu may be the first to work on a comprehensive LGBTQIA+ policy. The queer community dares to hope that there might be some light at the end of this tunnel afterall.

But despite these little wins, Chennai is still “not the San Francisco of India”, as pointed out by the moderator, Jaiveer Johal. Queering of our city is incomplete and impossible without designating safe-spaces for the community and widespread acceptance of all identities that fall under the rainbow flag. Till then, the march towards equality should, and will, continue.

August 22: Three Olympians of Madras – Muneer Sait, V. Bhaskaran, & Charles Cornelius in conversation with Satyan Bhatt.

Surana and Surana International Attorneys at Dr. R.K. Salai hosted a panel discussion between ­Satyan Bhat and three Hockey Olympians from the city – Muneer Sait, V. Baskaran and Charles Cornelius. The event was well-attended; in fact, quite a few had travelled from other towns and far-flung areas to participate. After all, Muneer Sait had helped bring home the bronze medal from the 1968 Mexico City Olympics; Cornelius, the bronze from the 1972 Munich Olympics; and Baskaran, the gold from the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

As the moderator, Satyan Bhat amiably brought their stories, each of which was extraordinary. The three icons reminisced about their training days in school and later. Back then, travelling to training camps across the country meant long train journeys, with meals limited to what was essentially street fare. Sporting gear such as shin guards and other protective measures were not quite in use; one had to make peace with scrapes and injuries from play. But it appears that the tough circumstances shaped tough players indeed – their trysts with sporting history made for thrilling tales that stirred an audience to frequent bouts of applause.

The Q&A session had the gathering asking the panel how the country could revive and burnish its Hockey legacy. The trio replied by first pointing out that the recent bronze win at the 2024 Paris Olympics deserves much admiration, given the less-than-ideal support for the sport; one Olympian declared that he considered it to be the equivalent of a gold medal under the circumstances. The topic then turned to the development of the sport among the youth, with Muneer Sait exhorting the need for parents to allow children to play. Baskaran echoed his opinion, rueing that parents tend to heavily prioritize studies at the cost of sports. Many stayed back after the panel to shake hands with the veterans.

August 23: Memories of Stage – Veteran actor ‘Kathadi’ Ramamurthy in conversation with Karthik Bhatt.

It was Kathadi Ramamurthy’s show all the way as the veteran kept a packed house at Hotel Maris in splits throughout, sharing his memories of Tamil theatre in Madras. It was not just the humour that had everyone wanting more. There was such sincerity in the narration and a lot of gratitude for all who had helped him on his way. The economics of Tamil theatre too were touched upon and while this was packaged in humour, the reality was made evident. In what can only be expected of seasoned theatre personalities, Ramamurthy identified key people in the audience and drew them into the chat, and he was not above pulling Karthik Bhatt’s leg too. In this context it must be added that Karthik Bhatt held his own admirably. It is not always that a younger person in a field can manage on stage with a senior.

August 24: The Life and Genius of Kannadasan – Mohan V. Raman.

The Radisson Blu hotel at Pazhavanthangal had graciously allocated a spacious hall for Mohan Raman’s talk on Kannadasan. But arrangements can never be enough when it comes to this gentleman, it seems. Much like last year, the audience that turned up for Mohan Raman’s talk filled the room to the rafters, with a few at the back finding themselves obliged to stand.

It was clear at the outset that the talk would not touch upon the banal and familiar; after all these, as the speaker remarked early on, are freely available in articles and books. Instead, Mohan Raman’s Madras Week presentation was a deeply personal, multimedia feature on Kannadasan’s brilliance, one that moved a rapt gathering to laughter and tears. He traced the poet’s life through little-known tales and anecdotes, accompanied by well-chosen clips from well-loved songs. The Marina Beach stars in one such delightful story. It appears that in harder times, Kannadasan was once asked to leave the beach quite unceremoniously; the moment sparked in the poet a fiery desire to one day make his mark by parking a fleet of cars on its very street. Thus was born a visual from the iconic song Manithan Enbavan from the film Sumaithangi, which features a row of parked cars – every single one of which, says Mohan Raman, was Kannadasan’s own. One can imagine the audience’s delight in seeing the clip after such a tale. Mohan Raman also shared a few stories that he dubbed apocryphal – tales with absolutely no evidence or documentation, but that deserved a retelling for their sheer charm. These left the audience quite entertained indeed.

Joyful in parts and moving in others, it is certain that Mohan Raman’s talk stayed with the audience long after the evening ended.

August 25: Bahurupi Kamal Haasan’s rise in Madras Film Industry – Talk by K. Hariharan, filmmaker, film historian and author.

Cinema Rendezvous helped organize a talk on doyen Kamal Haasan by filmmaker, film historian and author K. Hariharan, who has recently published a book on the subject titled Kamal Haasan, A Cinematic Journey. The event was held at Hotel Savera, which has always been kind enough to host Madras Week each year. The evening saw members of Cinema Rendezvous attend in full strength, accompanied by a large group of Madras Week enthusiasts. There was not a single chair left unoccupied.

An accomplished and veteran filmmaker himself, Hariharan traced Kamal Haasan’s career against the backdrop of cinema history. His description of the star’s rise in the Tamil film industry – one famously intertwined with state politics – gave listeners a deeper understanding of the actor’s art. For instance, did you know that the star was initially more interested in directing films? Referring to his book, Hariharan says that he chose around 250 films to portray Kamal Haasan’s journey – a number he says surprised Kamal Haasan himself, who declared surprise that the author found so many films worth a mention. Hariharan remarks that this is nothing but sheer humility, of course – the actor is a pioneer who has consistently broken new ground in films. It is solely on account of Kamal Haasan, says Hariharan, that Tamil cinema forayed into a sensitive portrayal of sexuality as a human emotion. He shared that Kamal Haasan’s greatest wish is to be the best connoisseur (rasigan) of films, and recounted many stories to portray his committment to the art – for instance, to wear a pair of thick glasses in Anbe Sivam, he had to specially order a pair of minus power lenses. The talk also touched upon the star’s mentors, such as K. Balachander and L.V. Prasad. In all, it was a lively evening with much engagement from the audience.