Madras Then: Chennai Now

Madras Then is an extensively-researched collection of pictures showcasing the city as it once was. From images documenting the construction of the artificial Madras harbour, to the fateful day when the German cruiser Emden attacked Chennai (making it the only Indian city to have sustained a direct attack during the Great War). The beginnings of modern Madras' culture have been well-documented with alluring pictures of some of India's earliest businessmen, industrialists, parliamentarians, actors, and actors-turned-politicians. This book features images sourced from the private archives of the city's prominent families with some of them being published for the first time. Be it politics, sport, movies, education, or even the independence struggle, Madras Then features pictures and paintings of almost every event and socio-cultural phenomenon that has left an indelible mark on Indian history. Awarded the title of the best' metro by a magazine survey conducted in 2013, Chennai is a city of dichotomies home to some of India's glitziest malls and retail chains, and yet a city where the streets still come alive with Kolam drawing competitions. The proud base of some of the country's premier software companies, but where the highly-educated techie employees still enter office with vibhuti on their foreheads. A place often written off as being conservative', but located in the region that hosts the largest festival of transgenders in the country. Chennai Now perfectly captures the many ironies of Chennai, featuring aerial photographs (unpublished thus far) of the city that document its changing skyline. A fascinating insight into India's most 'livable' city.