Date:12/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/12/stories/2008051259350400.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Not too many options for entertainment here

Kannal Achuthan

PHOTO: K.V.SRINIVASAN.

MAKEOVER NEEDED: Older cinema houses such as the Padmanabha Theatre on Wall Tax Road could do with a facelift and improved facilities. —

CHENNAI: Royapuram resident S. Caroline and her family spent a few happy hours in Spencer Plaza on Sunday evening. The family plans to go to Marina beach the next weekend. Every time they want to go on an outing, they find that they have to travel to south Chennai.

“I really wish there was a mall where we can just hang out in north Chennai too ,” says Ms. Caroline.

South Chennai has more malls, star hotels, food courts, colleges, multiplex theatres and entertainment spots. However, north Chennai localities like Tondiarpet, Washermanpet, Kasimedu, Royapuram, Perambur and, further still, Tiruvottiyur are yet to get these entertainment options. It is not as if north Chennai residents lack buying power. Big real estate firms have announced housing projects in Perambur and Royapuram.

Nanda Kumar, a resident of Washermanpet, said old theatres have been demolished to make way for apartment complexes. “Brighton Theatre in Royapuram is one such example … as for malls, north Chennai does not have any yet but they will be popular hangouts if they come up,” he said. Even the existing theatres need to be revamped.

North Chennai, however, does not have a dearth of shopping centres. “Why go to T. Nagar when you can buy everything in Vannarapettai?” asks Thilakavathy, a resident of Old Washermenpet. She agrees that there may not be fancy food courts in north Chennai but says the neighbourhood makes for a friendlier, closer knit community.