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Is there a cultural crisis?

A delightful cocktail of cutcheris, kolam contests and coffee shops. That's Chennai for you, says APARNA KARTHIKEYAN

`Erosion of values,' `disco-hopping,' `pub-crawling,' `obscene clothes,' `loose-morals' scream the headlines. Red-masted tabloids really have a rollicking time — sensationalising trifling stories, bolstering them with sleazy, clandestine shots of cootchie-cooing couples — effectively boosting their circulation.

The general impression one gets after reading the reports is that Chennai is crawling with decadent youth roaming around half-naked, who spend every evening jiving to ear-splitting music, all the while soaking up booze by the bucketful! The upshot of all this brouhaha? The younger generation has unanimously been dubbed `depraved', condemned for having too much disposable income (courtesy: the BPO boom), thrown out of bars and censured by certain `parties' in a language usually reserved for war-criminals, a remarkably torrid-time, by any standard.

But we wonder, is Chennai really all that `bad'? Are its citizens so debauched that they're on a fast track to perdition? Will Gen Next be brought up exclusively on a diet of hard drinks and soft porn? And what about our `culture and tradition'? (phew, beaten to death, that one!) Confused, and more than a little concerned, we decided to quiz a cross-section of Chennai-ites.

Sridhara Sudharsan, IT professional, just back in Chennai after a three-year sojourn abroad, says the city has definitely changed. "It's a lot more flashy, with coffee joints, lots of expensive eat-outs and yes, the pub culture is certainly picking up in the city."

Work hard, party harder

Sanjeev R. Sridharan, business analyst, says the mantra among some young adults now seems to be "work hard and party harder." "No wonder, the so-called popular hang-outs are flourishing," he reasons. But is `partying' so pervasive?

"Pubbing during week-ends is a reality and it's not considered a wonder anymore," says Kavyakala Ramesh, who works in a consulting firm.

All is not lost. But wait before you yell `gotcha', she isn't finished yet. "But then, hardly 50 per cent of my friends belong to the `what am I doing at home on a Saturday night?' brigade." (Despite being a relative minority, the pub-crawlers still manage to hog the headlines.)

Sanjeev reminisces about his vice-president's recent visit from the U.S. "He took the team to a pub for a treat and I felt completely lost, since I don't drink." Hooray, teetotallers aren't extinct. Yet.

Vasanthi Rajiv, committee member, Blue Cross, says, "Hotels find more people willing to experiment, but they sure have their own Lakshman-Rekha." Sanjeev feels the key-driving factor for the yuppies is simply peer-pressure. "Sometimes, even those from conservative backgrounds are forced to adopt a racy lifestyle just to fit in."

Getting down to the brass tacks, does this trend challenge Chennai-ites' (supposedly) favourite pastime — academics? Last heard, this bunch of bookworms was busy slogging its way to top universities worldwide. Does the literary scene now closely resemble a breezy Bacardi ad?

Janani Rangarajan, currently pursuing her Masters, quickly defends her brethren. "Hey, it's not like the average college student hangs out somewhere everyday! Everyone has his or his priorities and academics is definitely the top one."

All right, so we breathe easy, knowing that all's well with the budding scholars. What about `culture and tradition'? (Omigod, not again!) Has the big bad West weaned our youngsters away from Bharatanatyam and brighas? Fortunately, our fears are unfounded. Janani says the same guys who `hang-out' at pubs also attend Sanjay Subrahmanyam or Sudha Raghunathan's kutcheris, while Sridhar adds that a lot of his peers are as interested in ragas as they are in rock `n' roll.

Vasanthi points out that the new crop comfortably straddles Western habits and traditional culture. "Look at the December music season — there's a fresh crop of young talent every year."

Agrees Mythili Sriram, social activist. "I feel the best part of Chennai is that the cultural activities are also on the rise. Of course, Chennai is changing, evolving — but that goes with being a metro," she reasons.

Vasanthi concludes, "Chennai is really a great mix of old and new and has held on to its roots in spite of the strong `modern' winds." She's right, while the critics were busy panning a few exposed midriffs, they failed to note that the `hip' Chennai crowd turned up largely in Kancheepurams and kurtas to a Zubin Mehta concert. That's Chennai for you — a delightful `cocktail' of cutcheris, kolam contests and coffee shops! Really, how can anyone fault with that?

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