CHENNAI: Sadanand Menon, a nationally reputed arts editor is also a popular teacher of cultural journalism, stage lights designer, prolific speaker on topics ranging from politics to culture to arts. He is adjunct faculty at the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, and IIT Madras. He is also the Managing Trustee of SPACES, an arts foundation in Chennai.
What qualifies you as a Chennaiite?
In a free and democratic society, there is no need for any such ‘qualification’ — any citizen can live anywhere and belong there and be identified with that place. So an atheist of Malayali origin like me is as much a Chennaiite as the migrant Bengali Muslim mason working here. The original Madrasi/Chennaiites are the fisherman community along the coast. Everyone else here is a migrant, immigrant, intruder, and foreigner.
Which is the one place in Chennai which you would like to take a non-Chennaite to and why?
For an early morning bus ride on a Friday to give them an experience of the sheer sensuality of a bus full of women going to work, who glow like Chola bronzes after their morning turmeric bath and who universally braid their hair with freshly strung mallippoo.
Is there a personality from Chennai that you wish you could meet once?
Would have loved to meet the Nobel Laureate scientist C.V. Raman. I did meet, interview and photograph his Nobel Laureate nephew Prof. S. Chandrasekhar though.
Is there a stereotype about Chennaiites you wish you could change?
That they are provincial. This region has been ‘internationalist’ from the early Sangam period — with travel, trade and cultural exchange with many regions in Asia, Oceania and the Arab world.
Any part of the city that you haven’t been to?
Whatever is Madras, i know it; whatever i don’t know isn’t Madras.
Two things from Chennai that you would take to any place you travel?
Vattal kuzhambu and ribbon pakoda. Can’t really think of a trip abroad without these accessories for spicing up life.
One thing you don’t like about Chennai?
Unfortunately, for one, its a city that does not believe in pavements; and, quite remarkably, it seems to believe that it is not in a monsoon zone; so it successfully manages to flood its roads with even a 30mins shower. A major grouse, of course, is that it is among the few Indian cities where you don’t get Old Monk rum.