OPEN AIR AUDITORIUM: Big shows need a venue.

CHENNAI: Chennai may boast the mighty Kollywood film industry but, on Sunday, the metro felt the need for a permanent "open air auditorium" that can seat at least 20,000 people. This need was felt all the more when `Netru Indru Naalai' — The Banyan charity show — had to be held on the sprawling campus of Jeppiar Engineering College on Old Mahabalipuram Road last Sunday.

"It is unfortunate that Chennai, which has emerged as the favoured Information Technology destination and known for its rich cultural heritage, does not have a massive auditorium for holding a mega event. The Jawaharlal Indoor Stadium in the city has only a limited seating capacity and cannot be used to conduct a mega live show," says one of the key office-bearers of the charity organisation, which had arranged for the four-hour musical performance.

Chennai has been playing host to not only Tamil musical performances but also to many pop shows.

The Island Grounds is the only other venue that comes to mind, but the fact that it is constantly in use by one State agency or the other means that it is available only for a limited period of the year.

The other issues that deter people from using the ground are the stench emanating from the Buckingham Canal and the lack of adequate parking. The Lily Pond near the old Moore Market complex and the Madras Medical College hostel ground cannot hold as many people.

The Tamil Nadu Government, the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce, the Confederation of Indian Industry, the Kollywood film industry, and ardent music buffs of Chennai can join hands to make this dream come true.

The only issue that has to be looked into is the sustainability factor, of having such shows on a regular basis instead of them being seasonal.

A senior IAS officer, who once headed the State Tourism Department, said, "Chennai certainly deserves one good open air auditorium with at least 15,000 plus seating capacity. We should start conducting more star nites and different types of live shows. We should have more of such live musical performances, which also indirectly promote cultural tourism."

"There is no dearth of architectural expertise in Chennai," he added.

Film director Vasanth said the metro definitely needs a better venue for such mega musical shows.

There is scope for constructing a permanent stage for musical shows preferably on GST road or beyond Anna Nagar, not on the IT corridor as it is already congested.

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