There were only two types of people in Chennai during the floods — people who were affected and people who were helping the affected. It was humanity that was the winner here,” said actor and social worker Suhasini Mani Ratnam while speaking at the launch of Express Avenue’s Christmas Village at the North Pole. The actor, along with music composer Vijay Antony and his wife, inaugurated the snowy north pole village at the central atrium of the mall on Wednesday.
Though the festivities and the mini village stole the show, guests sobered up a bit when celebs began talking about the the flood. “Christmas is a festival of sharing. We have shared sorrow; now it’s time to share goodwill,” said Suhasini.
Also speaking about the floods, Vijay Antony said, “The floods made us suffer, but they also showed us how much humanity the city has.”
Saroj Goenka, chairperson of Express Infrastructure Private Limited, said Christmas was a celebration of faith, family and tradition.
The four-layered mountain, complete with houses, a church and a functional train, was opened to the public by Saroj Goenka, but not before Vijay Antony belted out two stanzas from his famous ‘Naka Muka’ song. Proceeds from the train ride around Christmas will go to the flood affected in the city.
The ride will cost `20 per person (`15 for kids) on weekdays and `25 per person (`20 for kids) on weekends.