Madras is dwelling, Madras is coronary heart, Madras is me: Actor Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli

I’m nonetheless getting used to calling the town Chennai. I’ve at all times known as it Madras. This is the place I’ve been all my life, says Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli, nationwide award successful actor.

Madras additionally was the rationale I fell in love with the game of cricket. Neighbours getting collectively to look at a match in a single home made me interested in cricket. Every road had boys taking part in cricket on the highway, and it made me wish to attempt the game. I was the one woman in the complete neighbourhood taking part in cricket with the boys on the highway.

I grew up in West Mambalam. All my recollections of the place are about being out on the streets and taking part in; all day with all the children from the neighbourhood. That was a time after we knew each home on the road and will enter any of them to get a glass of water after we have been drained or perhaps a snack often. As kids, we knew extra individuals from the neighbourhood than our mother and father.

Moving away from there to dwelling close to the seashore has been great as nicely. Like each single individual in Madras, I like the seashores, they usually have been an essential a part of my life. I’ve spent years watching the dawn at Elliot’s seashore whereas taking part in final frisbee. We had nationwide seashore tournaments right here and obtained golf equipment from cities with out seashores to come back and expertise the enjoyment (or pressure) of taking part in the game operating within the seashore sand.

As theatre actors and performers, we in Madras are fortunate to have the ability to carry out in one of the vital lovely venues that’s the Museum Theatre in Egmore. I’ve loved performing there with each probability I obtained. Being an actor, work typically takes me to corners of the town that I’d have by no means had an opportunity to go to in any other case. Recently, I shot some scenes in Ennore and completely loved being there each single day. Another shoot took me on high of the hill reverse the airport from which we obtained beautiful views of the flights touchdown and taking off. Every time I’m going to a nook of the town I’ve not been to, I change into a vacationer myself and have completely loved it.

Every time I’ve gone away from Madras for just a few days, I’ve missed the town and I wait to get again. Madras is dwelling, Madras is coronary heart, Madras is me.

(As informed to Udhav Naig)