At the fag end of the 1940s, when I was almost four, our family — my mother and I, and my sister's family — left Elur for Madras. We lived in T. Nagar, on the calm and quiet Moosa Street — my brother-in-law worked in a sugar factory around the area, and so, we settled down there. Most cinema artistes lived in and around T. Nagar those days.
When it was time to go to school, there weren't many choices in and around the area. I eventually joined Kesari High School in Teynampet, and shifted to their Mylapore branch after Standard VI. We went to school by rickshaw. Jutkas and hand-rickshaws were the only things you would see on the roads apart from a few cars owned by the elite. We had stalwarts for neighbours — the likes of actors Jamuna, Krishna Kumari, S.V. Ranga Rao.
Everything was a lot cheaper then — food, rent, school fees and entertainment cost only a few anna s. During weekends, we would take some change, run off to Rajakumari theatre to catch the matinee show, pack biryani from a hotel, and spend the rest of the evening on the beach.
Sometimes, I would even bunk classes to watch movies. I was quite a film buff, but, perhaps, that was because there was nothing much else to do. Spencer's was another favourite because you could get everything there; it was also popular for its pharmacies.
We later shifted to Vijayaraghava Chari Road, where N.T. Rama Rao was our neighbour. From our home, it was easy to get to the studios. There was a ‘big gate' and a ‘small gate' at the level crossing where we'd have to wait to go to Kodambakkam. The ‘big gate' was closed when the bridge was eventually built. AVM, Vauhini, Bharani — I used to frequent them all.
Many Kannada and Malayalam movies were also shot there in the nights, using the same sets as the Tamil movies, but with subtle changes. Usually, big producers would make movies in three languages — Tamil, Telugu and Kannada — the heroine and the plot would be the same, but the heroes different.
Trams were still around, and we would hop on one to go to Moore Market. It was a fascinating place where you could get just about anything. Of course, we weren't allowed to go by ourselves, so we'd tag along with the elders. I remember, my nephews and I once wandered off to St. Thomas Mount after school — my mother and sister were in tears by the time we got back.
Going to hotels was considered taboo then. And, there weren't that many either. Buhari on Mount Road was famous for its biryani .
After so many years, I've seen drastic changes and, sometimes, don't realise where I am. Madras changed right in front of my eyes.
