Good morning, Chennai!
☁️ Today’s weather: Mostly overcast with some rain.
🧐 Did you know? Chennai was home to many famous movie studios. One among them was Vijayavahini Studio, which had 13 floors in the 1950s and was considered the largest in Asia.
🛣️ First U-turn flyover
Chennai’s first U-turn flyover opens to the public.
What’s it about? The city’s first U-turn flyover opens to the public at Taramani after a long delay. The flyover was supposed to be opened last December. This didn’t happen due to construction delays.
- The flyover will allow vehicles travelling from Thoraipakkam to Madhya Kailash to make a U-turn at an elevated level. For motorists going toward Indira Nagar, it’s a hassle-free journey now.
- While this will help reduce traffic congestion at Taramani during peak hours, plans for another flyover haven’t materialised. For some commuters, the new U-turn flyover is only half the solution.
Timelines: The goal was to reduce congestion on the IT corridor and waiting times at TIDEL Park. The state government began with plans for two flyovers four years ago on Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) for ₹110 crore.
🚌 Decongesting OMR
Could a BRTS help decongest OMR, which has become a hub of infrastructure activity?
What’s it about? Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) has basically become only two lanes due to ongoing metro rail work. While this will help decongest the area like it did in Anna Salai, that’ll take another four years. Until then, could a bus rapid transit system (BRTS) help?
- The BRTS could run shuttle services for OMR from Madhya Kailash to SIPCOT. By building service lanes, there’ll be space for minibuses that could run every 5-10 minutes during peak hours.
- This area has many IT companies, gated communities, and educational institutions. If the BRTS is in place, the area will see three times the number of commuters, and people will rely less on private transport.
Is it doable? The MRTS or Metrorail can partially fund the BRTS and the MTC till everything settles down. If encroachments are removed and parked vehicles are cleared, there’ll be no need to spend time and money acquiring land.
🎨 For art lovers
The Madras Art Weekend is back, bigger than ever, with 100 artists, shows and installations.
What’s it about? While it’s called the Art Weekend, this year’s edition will take place over five days with art showcases, panel discussions, and interactive shows. The theme of this year is based on children, community, and compassion. The festival will be on from November 29 to December 3.
- The festival begins with UK-based environmental artist Steven Massem’s installation at the Shiv Nadar School. There’ll also be a showcase of 14 artists with disabilities and a live braille installation by UK-based artist Clarke Reynolds.
- Works from legacy galleries and museums from across India will be on show. It includes the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art’s travelling show from their old masters series.
Putting Chennai on the art map: Curator Upasana Asrani hopes the festival will put Chennai in focus as an art capital and hopes the festival will grow in scale in the years ahead.
🎶 Back performing in Chennai
Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ) returns to the city to perform originals and re-imagined covers.
Who are they? The four-member band TAAQ is back in Chennai. Frontman Bruce Lee Mani began by performing in Chennai in the early 2000s. Now, they’re all set to return with a performance at Bay 146.
- The band likes tradition. Its former bass player, Rudy David, from Chennai, would utter a quick “keep in touch” as the band huddled before they got on stage.
- The band’s members are now committed to the rock and roll lifestyle. For them, it doesn’t change depending on the size of the audience. Their “alligator fans” in Chennai know details about their songs.
What’s next? TAAQ will soon perform alongside music icons like Deep Purple and the Goo Goo Dolls at Bengaluru’s Bandland festival between December 16 and 17.
Details: TAAQ will perform at Bay 146, The Savera Hotel, at 9 pm on November 24. For tickets, check insider.in.
✨ Things to do…
Here are some fun and interesting things to do in the city over the weekend!
- Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike are coming to Chennai for Sunburn Arena this Sunday.
- Indie singer-songwriter Tarini is all set to release her debut EP with a launch concert this Sunday.
- DRAMATHON by Theatre Marina is a one-of-a-kind show with 1 big and 3 short plays this Saturday.
- Nambikkai Dhan Vazhkai is a new Tanglish play that follows a watchman who meets interesting people, happening this Saturday.
- Chai Trails with T-Nagar is a unique and immersive storytelling session with a neighbourhood walk this Sunday.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll Results:
- I have taken a driving test: 75.0% 🏆
- I haven’t taken a driving test: 25.0%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What’s been your favourite book from this year?
Nirja: “ In a Better Place”
Suchi: “Breaking The Habit Of Being Yourself by Dr. Joe Dispenza”
Shiva: “It doesn’t have to be crazy at work”
That’s it for today. Have a great weekend!