Food can definitely prove the point of being a Chennai vaasi

CHENNAI : Shruti Kumar is a musician and the co-author of The Celnatic Experience. She is a former disciple of Bombay Jayashri and Sudha Raghunathan. She studied in Berklee College of Music, Valencia, Spain, where she worked on a project which finds the similarities between Muthuswami Dikshitar’s nottu swarams and popular western music.

So, what is your Chennai connect?
Moved into this lovely city from Muscat, Oman in 2006 to focus on Music. 

One thing about namma ooru that you fancy?
I guess the fact that this city can sometimes make you be in your comfort zone in comparison to other fast paced metros.

A Chennai based celeb or any personality whom you would like to date or go out with.
There are 2 people. One, Ilayaraja who I was lucky to spendhours conversing with recently. The other would be ARRahman Sir.

Three things here that can’t be found in any part of the world?
● Playing loud music early in the morning through speakers on most days. Thanks to this we don’t need to set ouralarm clocks.
● December Music Season and its ever enthusiastic attendees of all ages.
● Simplicity of the people

Your favourite hangout spot? 
Any place with great company 
Three stereotypes about the city and the people that make you roll your eyeballs.
● Worshipping movie stars as though they were god.
● Horns in various scales from vehicles even when there are not many vehicles around.
● Marriage banners of people, usually looking pretty depressed being displayed on the roads.

What would you do to prove someone that you are a true Chennai vasi?

I will not call myself a true Chennai vasi completely but just in terms of track record, I will take them to a Saravana Bhavan or Murugan Idli Shop. What better way than food to prove a point.

Two madras bashai words that you would teach a new bee?
“kundhu” and “apeetu” were the 2 words thrown at me when I was a newbie so I would probably do the same.

A Tamil movie dialogue/song which describes Chennai? Vanakkam Chennai song from the movie Marina Two things from Chennai that you would take to any place you travel.

● Chennai taught me the importance of simplicity.

● And that we may travel all around the world and eat different types of food, but thayir saadam will always come to the rescue after all the crazy eating.

If you had to draw a comparison between Chennai and any other city/country...what would it be?

And why? In Chennai, both men and women have all the time in the world to stare at anything and everything that happens on the road in comparison to the busy life in Mumbai where one can hardly find anybody not doing anything.

What is the craziest thing you have ever wanted to do in the city? And where? It would be great to recreate Mumbai’s “Khao gali” in Mylapore probably but sell only food from all the southern states (including towns and villages).

If you would like to install another statue in Marina beach, what or who would it be about. None. The beach looks just fine with as many statues as there are.

Describe the city in your own words and style! This city, my second home, has only made me a better person and an appreciator of everything. It has engraved the importance of simplicity and humility which I shall hold very close to me forever.