Now, architect Thirupurasundari Sevvel has launched an Insta filter called #MadrasInspired where users can guess the name of the buildings or a locality in Chennai. “I wanted to do something fun and informative on social media. I suggested the idea of Instagram filters to Mohammad Rafiq and he developed the filter for us. Instead of sharing pictures of only popular places, we have given sketches and photographs of lesser-known locations and heritage buildings in the city. A few areas include the Kasimedu fish market, Madras High Court, Thousand Lights Mosque, lanes of Aminjikarai, Anna Nagar tower, Victoria Public Hall, Temple in Triplicane, etc. We have launched the #MadrasInspired filters through the interdisciplinary collective Nam Veedu Nam Oor Nam Kadhai,” says Thirupurasundari.

She adds that the photographs used for the filters are taken during the heritage walks and trails organised by Nam Veedu Nam Oor Nam Kadhai. The sketches in the filters are done by artists Muralidharan Azhagar and Aafreen Fathima SK. After the launch on July 2, the team has been receiving a lot of responses from Instagram users. “Within 15 minutes after the launch of the filter, we have got almost 120 messages from Chennaiites and Tamils living across the world. The feedback was amazing - many were happy that they could recollect some familiar and non-familiar places in Chennai. After seeing the filter, one of my German friends told me that heritage enthusiasts from other cities should develop similar filters for their cities,” she says. In the coming days, the team will be adding Madras logos/ insignias, lanes and more places from Chennai.

Mohammad Rafiq, who created for the #MadarsInspired filters, tells that it was an interesting experience. A Master’s student in Computational Design in Germany, Rafiq is in Chennai for vacation. “When Thirupurasundari ma’am suggested this idea, it sounded very unique. I created the filters in a day via Augmented Reality. But because of Instagram’s privacy rules and regulations, we had to wait for a few days to get permission. I haven’t seen a heritage-themed filter on Instagram so far. I am sure these filters will bring back nostalgia to people who are associated with this beautiful city,” says Rafiq.