Chennai, known for having India’s largest panoramic wall mural in Indira Nagar, Adyar, continues to prove that art is no longer restricted to paper and canvas. It now takes hold of streets, bridges, and often neglected public spaces, transforming them into galleries that carry the stories of the city’s lesser-spoken. The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has been utilising this tool to beautify areas across the city. St+art Foundation, an NGO, took this to Kannagi Nagar and Nochi Kuppam. The latest addition to this growing culture of new-age storytelling is the mural series on the pillars of the Vyasarpadi flyover.
Where once heaps of sand and waste were dumped, now echoes laughter, conversations, and even reflects the sight of children playing, as nine portraits of homegrown achievers from the densely populated area, now adorn the grey pillars. Each mural is painted in bold yet earthy tones, staying true to their natural features — warm browns for the skin, soft highlights to capture facial expressions, and colorful yet contrasting backgrounds in shades of deep blue, yellow, red, and black. The features are carefully detailed — hair textures, smiles, and eyes that feel familiar along with personal elements like a trophy, a DJ console, a stethoscope and a five-rupee coin that echo the essence of each person’s story. These vibrant personalities hardly go unnoticed.
Every brush stroke challenges the narrative that Vyasarpadi has been carrying with it for decades. These murals reclaim the pride of a neighbourhood, the area’s identity. So, for its working-class residents, it’s more than art. Vighneshwari Mani, a resident, says, “People assume that only those who murder and rob are living in Vyasarpadi. These murals change that outlook.”
The pillars feature portraits of DJ Black, IPS officer Prakash, footballer S Nandhakumar, carrom champion MB Khazima, the late Dr Thiruvengadam (well-known as anju ruba doctor), singer Isaivani, and DRDO scientist Dilli Babu, among others.
“They were painting each pillar in phases,” recalls Nandhini S, a resident. “The first time I saw the mural, they had drawn Nandha anna. I used to play football along with him. He’s now playing in competitions away from home.” For her, seeing someone she knows being celebrated by the world feels personal and inspiring. “It sets an example. If it had been done somewhere else, people wouldn’t feel the connect,” she adds on GCC’s choice of choosing Vyasarpadi.
Balaji S, who works as a security staff, believes the murals add more than just aesthetic value. “Not all murals are the same, just like how everyone’s stories are different. It can be a statement to show off as well as an attempt to create dialogue among locals. Here, the focus is the community,” he says, adding that these murals teach children that achievement is possible despite discrimination and stereotypes against the working class.
Vijayalakshmi of Vyasai Thozhargal, a collective that works closely with the community, says, “Vyasarpadi has always been seen negatively. This is a positive move that brings visibility to the area and our people. It shows that we are educated, that we’ve achieved. It establishes that the area is filled with honest people who work hard.”
For Nithya, a hospital worker, and a resident for more than 30 years, the murals are reminders of people who shaped daily life in that area. “Isaivani is one of the women who achieved great heights from here. Anju ruba doctor helped so many people who avoided visiting hospitals, fearing the cost.” But it’s officer Prakash’s mural that is closest to her heart. “We felt safe when he was here,” she says. Nandhini concurs, “He used to write his phone number on the walls of every house so we could reach him during emergencies. There was no problem during his tenure.”
The emotional impact of the murals isn’t lost on anyone at Vyasarpadi but they are worried about its maintenance. Unkept, even the strongest stories can fade.