Good morning, Chennai!
🌤️ Today’s weather: High: 38 ℃ | Low: 23 ℃ | Mostly sunny weather for the day.
🧐 Did you know? The upcoming Wonderla amusement park in the city will have the country’s largest roller coaster.
🎭 Supporting theatre artistes
The production company Poochu’s is dedicated to helping young talent set out on their theatrical ambitions.
What’s it about? Theatre is becoming a more popular form of self-expression, with a surge in talent across Chennai. Supporting debutant artists is the production company Poochu’s. It’s a collaboration between Nicholas Productions and Studio D5 to provide opportunities for dancers, singers, and theatre artistes.
- One of their initiatives is Enter Stage, which had its 16th edition recently. The event showcased performances ranging from school students to IT professionals.
- The company is committed to bringing together diverse artists and performances that bucks conventions and traditions.
Providing a platform: Enter Stage is for anyone interested in stepping onto the stage despite their apprehensions and self-doubt. Their upcoming production, “Grease – The Musical”, will be staged on August 17.
👩🍳 Advance booking fees for Chennai restaurants?
While not yet common in Chennai, some city-based restauranteurs have their say.
What’s it about? Some Indian cities have begun to adopt a policy of charging a deposit to reserve a table at your favourite restaurant. That amount is adjusted later in the final bill. While this hasn’t yet come to Chennai, restauranteurs have varying opinions.
- G Manikandan, founder of Goldman’s Steakhouse, believes it could help a restaurant predict revenue and plan ahead for staffing and inventory management. However, he thinks some customers might find this deposit system inconvenient.
- Kanishk Dhupad, founder of Lazy Leopard, said it makes sense for a city like Mumbai but not for Chennai, where the dining culture is still evolving. Manoj of Pandan Club and Beachville Coffee doesn’t see the deposit system as a penalty but a commitment towards engagement.
Pros and Cons: The general view is mixed on deposit for table reservations. For restaurants, it might help them plan their service better by knowing the number of customers and reducing the chances of last-minute cancellations. Some restaurants might not want to implement it for fear of scaring off potential customers.
🎨 Introspection and discovery
A new art exhibition from Sujil S showcases and celebrates resilience and empowerment.
What’s it about? The new collection from Sujil S is titled Whispers of Wonder. It represents a departure from his previous traditional visual style. The new collection is inspired by Paulo Coelho’s book Eleven Minutes. It invites viewers on a journey of introspection and discovery.
- Pointillism, the intricate use of tiny dots of colour, is used throughout to help draw viewers into the blend of colours and present a complete picture.
- Some of the work is inspired by the lush vegetation around Palakkad. Sujil has incorporated elements like flowers and leaves that surround his studio.
Beauty and meaning: The interplay of colours and themes present resilience and empowerment. It encourages viewers to discover beauty and meaning in their experiences.
🏖️ Besant Nagar beach encroachments
Encroachments at the beach have now gone into the sands and near the water.
What’s it about? Over a dozen vendors selling food items have sprung up near the Velankanni Church, with tables and chairs lining the shore. Encroachments on the beach have increased over the years between the Church and Broken Bridge. Officials seem oblivious and don’t take any action.
- Per an earlier vending zone list, Elliot’s Beach and its promenade were marked as non-vending zones. However, the Chennai Corporation continues to turn a blind eye to hawkers.
- The promenade is overrun by mobile entities like food trucks, 3D experiences, etc. Some estimates say the number of encroachments has increased to over 600 or maybe higher.
Officials are clueless: Ward 174 councillor M Radhika was unaware of who the encroachers were. Despite raising the issue at ward committee meetings, the Corporation’s works department doesn’t act.
✨ Things to do…
Here are some fun and interesting things to do in the city over the weekend!
- Music lovers can catch Karthik live in concert this Saturday.
- Experience multiple art forms at the Stepping Stars by KSR this Sunday.
- Let the kids play at the Lego Space Voyage workshop this weekend.
- The musical fusion trio will present the violin, oud, and tabla at Sangamam live this Sunday.
- Experience an anthology of love stories at Kodai Kaala Kaatru this Saturday.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll Results:
- I prefer to drink coffee/tea in the morning: 56.0% 🏆
- I prefer to drink coffee/tea in the evening: 44.0%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What’s your preferred alcohol-based beverage?
Suchi: “Pina Colada”
Shiva: “Wine”
That’s it for today. Have a great weekend!