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Is Chennai the place to be?

Two couples discuss the pluses and minuses of the city with GEETA PADMANABHAN

FOUR IS COMPANY Venky and Latha Kumaraswami with Rathi and Nilakantan PHOTO: SHAJU JOHN

Rathi Nilakantan — Malaysian citizen. Moved to Chennai as a teen. Did a degree course in Dietetics & Nutrition at Queen Mary's. Believes her hair and beauty studio at Savera is A Cut Above the rest. Enjoys the dual existence of being in India and Malaysia. Can be seen at the Duchess Club and the Ladies Circle and in her new role as president, International Women's Association.

Husband Nilakantan — Nilu to a wide circle of friends. Calls himself an "old Madrasi". Managing Director of his dad's fibreglass, plastics business. Met Rathi at a party, wooed her at the back entrance of her college. Counts two MCCs — Madras Christian College and Madras Cricket Club as lifelines. Any events? He'll manage that too.

Nilu's sister Latha Kumaraswami — PR student of Stella Maris. Love at first sight at a "very much arranged" meeting with Venky. His resemblance to Sylvester Stallone and Al Pacino was a major reason. Now a hep mom of three kids. Proud of running the Tanker Foundation that helps kidney patients.

Venky Kumaraswami — In his words, "Sylvester Stallone after being knocked out." Grew up and worked in Britain. On a visit was told, "All of you are here, better get married." Love on the Marina ended in wedding. Took Latha back to England but made the switch eight years later. In speech, manners and sensitivity, a true Brit, "but not totally British".

It's a family re-union to talk of re-locating in Chennai after several years abroad. The photographer asks them to stand close and Nilu hoots, "We are a close family. But are we that close? 650,000 people are going to wonder why we are posing!"

The conversation starts on a mild note with Nilu and Rathi describing the Kumaraswamis' decision to come back as crazy. The quality of life is better abroad, they insist. Clean roads and continuous power/water supply are taken for granted. There are more opportunities for study and work. It's easier to be a homemaker in the U.K. Sure thing, agrees Lata. It was crazy to give up all that. But it wasn't good enough to create an environment for the kids to grow in. "We wanted them to have an Indian education, a value system. I'm more convinced about that now," adds Venky helpfully.

After 28 years in England, didn't Venky face adjustment problems? Especially since he spoke British English and insisted on being polite and punctual? Latha thinks he did very well. Venky begins to counter that but, "Why are you kicking me under the table?" Seriously, "My parents made an effort to speak Tamil at home. But I still need to translate. In terms of integration, I was very lucky. My company — Sundaram Finance — would have made adjustments. I had to reciprocate. Anyway, I wasn't going back." Puts in Latha, "His boss was amazed at the way he adjusted. He was fantastic!"

Nilu turns confessor. While travelling abroad, he did ask himself, "Why am I not living here?" but ha, India will one day be like this. Chennai's warmth beats the Aussie cold any day. With so much happening in India, the next gen will be better off. "Fond hopes," mutters Rathi. Nilu won't let go. "But there's change. When your family came here for a pilgrimage, they said, `How clean!'" Rathi: They went to all the best spots. Venky sees all this as just the visible part. Would he swap what he has got for pot-hole-free roads? Certainly not. No other city is as green and as full of entertainment.

Oh, really? If you are promoting a city, you can't close it down at midnight, Nilu points out. Rathi and Venky gang up. They are happy it closes down, they are anti-nightlife. "Nightlife not during weekdays. As teens, the young ones have a lot of living to do. They shouldn't finish it at 25." Rathi can't understand why people party at weeknights. "Those are the people you know," snaps Nilu. "You need curfew for only those below 18! `Open all night' must be the policy!" Latha used to love dancing, going out. Venky doesn't stop her, but with grown-up sons ... "They can watch English premier League football," says husband Venky. "Venky's wants are simple," comments Nilu.

But why re-locate in Chennai? "When I grow old and wise, why can't I live in Kerala?" asks Nilu. Rathi likes the Malaysian option. Latha "wouldn't want to be anywhere but Chennai. There is a sense of belonging here." It was sometime before Venky felt that way. "When I came here first, I didn't know why the lights went off. The guy next to me kept saying, `It's power cut.' It took me a while to understand that. But when I go away, I miss this place." Is there another place he'd like to live in? "Manchester. In a flat next to the football ground."

Chennai's change

Nilu is now sure. "Traffic jams or poor roads, none of us really wants to leave this place. Chennai has changed. All we need now is some snowfall in Pallavaram Hills to counter the heat." Venky is with him. "Chennai is a city of short distances. A place like Mahabalipuram is just an hour away! A major advantage here is, for just Rs. 300, we can see all premiership football games." For Latha and Rathi, it's the sense of identity the city offers. "It's a huge, beautiful village."

"You get Japanese, Korean and Lebanese food," says Rathi.

"Not to mention Murugan Idli and Saravana Bhavan," adds Nilu.

"Finally, it's `Do as the Romans do'," says Venky.

But habits cultivated in the U.K. are hard to kill. Venky is still punctual and thinks it is discipline. To which Nilu says, "It's okay to be late to a party! If you are on time, you are alone, the hosts themselves haven't turned up. I swear it has happened to us!"

Time to raise the white flag. Venky moderates that an outsider is in for a cultural shock in any city.

Latha springs up: "Cultural shock? You never spoke about that!" Rathi has the final word. "Both Venky and I were accepted by our in-laws. We were made to feel welcome."

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