Docus on Chennai; Alliance Francaise is a partner

This is one project we are working hard at - to get creative people to produce docu films on our city.

On June 27, five people join professional docu film maker Soudhamini to discuss their ideas and start shooting. One on the old Central Jail, another on the old world Bungalows of Gandhi Nagar, another on an old cemetery and cinema, one on a Urdu newspaper and one on the the Fort came to be. . . .

If you are keen to join the group make sure you have a great theme, a visually strong one of anything about this city, and email us - madrasday@yahoo.com

Alliance Francaise Chennai led by its director Ms Marie has extended support - it will screen the docus on Aug 23, 3 p.m. onwards.

In course of time, we hope to meet frequently and screen new docufilm on Chennai.

That actor KamalHassan is planning to produce 30 short films based on Chennai in 2010 is welcome.

Madras Quiz 2009, new hosts

The popular Madras Quiz will have a new host this year.

The Indian Quizzing League (http://iquiz.wordpress.com)

Four young quiz enthusiasts who run the IQL were keen and it was nice to let a city based group handle the event.

So mark the date - August 23 afternoon at the P. S. School Dakshinamurthy Auditorium ( no a/c but should be cool and breezy in August!).

Do remember that the prizes are not worth lakhs of rupees - after all this is a community event. But we hope to get some nice ones.

P. S. : We also conduct a Madras Quiz in Thamizh for city Thamizh medium schools. If you know of such schools who should take part, do share the info. We'd like to invite them.

Madras Day 2009 rolls

The core group which catalyses the Madras Day celebrations had a meeting recently.

To run through the core plans and think of newer avenues.

'Madras Musings' will host a series of talks across the city. The topics look very interesting.

There is also an attempt to have talks on the city in Thamizh. Now if you know of any speakers who could talk well on interesting subjects, please get across to us. Now!

A series of heritage walks will be held. There will also be a host of contests. And a few exhibitions too.

Now if you have an idea that is easy to translate into action, however small it is, start working on it.

We would like more events to be held across the city. Calling people from Anna Nagar and Kilpauk, Perambur and Royapettah and Egmore to root for out city.

Raja Seetharaman; R.I.P.

This was not the way we could have closed Madras Day 2008.

Not with an obituary.

But it had to be.

Raja Seetharaman, one of the biggest catalysts of the Madras Day movement died in tragic circumstances on Vinayaka Chathurthi evening, Sept. 3.

Raja died near the Mambalam railway station. He was on his way home after attending a social function when the accident took place.

It is still not clear to us how Raja died - was he tossed aside by an oncoming train and fell on stone and injured himself badly in the head? Or was he thrown aside by a moving train?

We have lost Raja. The man who had tons of energy and gave it all for a public cause.

He with D. H. Rao had organised the Madras Day exhibition of pictures, coins, postage and books. Year after year. Without seeking rewards.

He who put the Special Postal Covers to celebrate Madras and leave signposts in our history.

Raja was a collector of special things. Coins, postage, covers and wedding invites. But he kept a low profile. His strength - putting shows together. 

He was on stage at the inaugural of the Madras Day exhibition at Rajaji Hall. He made sure I got a copy of the special postal cover.

We met on Sunday at Museum Theatre, Egmore for the release of the first part of the Madras Gazetteer to which he had also contributed a chapter. Over refreshments, we talked about how we should take the show to north Madras for 2009. We parted after a long chat.

We had parted for life. 

I was at his funeral on Sept.4 - the first time I stepped into his house on Iyyah Mudali Street in Chintadripet. A well maintained heritage house which had been a stop on V. Sriram's walking tour just weeks ago. I just couldn't bear to go close to his body.  

How do we remember such souls who have been proud of Chennai and did some thing unique for its celebration? When I asked a reporter of 'The Hindu' to write a tribute he said Raja was not a celebrity. So he couldn't convince his chief to spare space for Raja.

Perhaps we will remember him differently. 

Every 'Madras Day' should open with a recall of his contribution.

Tributes must live on. Men can't.

Final Jottings

I got marooned in the final events of Madras Day and so, couldn't keep the blog going!

But now that 2008 is over, I would like to post a few jottings.

Madras Live, the new FM radio station called me over for a chat on Aug.22 morning and the 90 min programme was fun. It gave me an opportunity to tell the city what the Day was all about.

It would be nice to have all our stations focussed on this theme in the years ahead.

The exhibition at Rajaji Hall, the work of D. H. Rao and Raja Seetharaman, got the support of Nalli and TN Tourism. The weekend brought huge crowds, Rao said.

Quizzers may not recognise this event but the Tamil Quiz on Madras that Revathi R. ran for our schools was a warm affair. The best thing about it was the fact that it wasn't a cold contest. The kids enjoyed the session and we kept the questions simple and current. Finally, at the wire, the girls from Rani Meyyammai school pipped the boys from Raja Muthiah.

We had very thin crowds for the docu films screenings on Sat and Sunday. Thanks to Mohan Das Vadakara who spun the DVDs, the screenings were smooth. 

A lot more work needs to be done in producing new docus on the city and that starts now!

Sunday morn was abuzzzzz  - there were give walks in different parts of the city.

I launched the Mount Road walk with 15 people alongside and it took us a little over 2 hours to do the run from The Hindu to Agurchand Mansions.

Sundays have their bonuses - you can storm buildings whose gates are half closed! So we ran up to the 2nd floor of Agurchand and got a grand view of Mount Road!

I hope to have many more Mount Road walks in the months ahead! (Sign up at madraswalks@gmail.com)

And finally, we ran the Madras Quiz at a new venue off Luz. There must have been about 200 people. But it remained warm and easy - the way it has always been. (My colleague Revathi hopes to post the prelim and final set of questions on this blog so if you weren't there you can take them in slowly.)

I think many people didn't like that question on Chinnamalai Pork Curry! Not apt? Not in good taste? Not Madras-like?

I caught up with Mohan at his docu film show at Sastri Hall, Luz. R V Ramani's  ' If I Die' was the last to roll. It is an old docu on Shihan Hussaini. 

At dinner Mohan and I decided we should promote more fresh docus on Madras. So we have work on our hands now for 2009!