What do a septuagenarian textile industrialist, a National award-winning actress, India’s top woman sailor, a pianist, and a former Miss India have in common? They are all Chennaiites who have carved their own niche in different domains and are ardently in love with the city.
This Madras Day, Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti, Suhasini Maniratnam, Dr Rohini Rau, Anil Srinivasan and Shvetha Jaishankar came together at the panel discussion Namma Chennai Namma Gethu, held at Express Avenue mall in Royapettah. Organised by Young Indians Chennai Chapter in association with Confederation of Indian Industry, the event saw the stalwarts, alongside moderator and journalist Sabrina Rajan, speak about the city they call home.
On their greatest love
For Suhasini, Chennai’s defining quality is the “ surusuruppu ... At 4 am, the streets buzz with an energy that is seen in other cities only at 10 am,” the actress gushed, proclaiming herself a proud early bird.
For Chetti, an avid patron of the Arts, it is how entertainment in the city caters to people of every age group, from the Margazhi music festival to stage theatre and multiplexes. Shvetha Jaishankar, author of Gorgeous: Eat Well, Look Great , spoke of her love for carb-heavy breakfast and filter kaapi . Chetti affectionately reminisced about the Madras he grew up in: “I hope to see boats on the Cooum again, just like in the ’50s and ’60s.”
Breaking stereotypes
The panellists spoke about trailblazing Chennaiites to loud applause. Rohini Rau shared her story of pursuing medical education while being a competitive international sailor. Now a practising physician, she works at a private hospital in Chennai and sailed in the 2019 J80 World Championship recently.
For Anil, innovations mean consistently breaking stereotypes in the music arena. “I am a pianist who collaborates with Carnatic musicians. Chennai welcomes such experiments with a warm heart.”
Underrated facets
Bringing to light the water sports scene, Rohini Rau said, “Chennai is bustling with swimming, sailing, surfing and rowing, and still not many in the city are aware of these events.”
Anil added: simplicity and greatness go hand-in-hand here. “We eat our thayir sadam , watching a Mani Ratnam movie, wearing a Nalli sari and managing a multinational enterprise with ease.”
