Postcard from Chennai

In the summer of 2006, I traveled to Chennai to photograph Ravi and Geetha's wedding.  Though Ravi's family lives in Houston and Geetha's family in New Jersey, both sets had originally come from Mylapore.  So the Radhakrishnans and Ramaswamys went back to India for a traditional wedding.  The events took place in a mandapam, a hotel, outside a temple, and in Geetha's grandparents' house, but my photographs revealed nothing of the city of Chennai. 

I was inspired by the scenes in Mira Nair's "Monsoon Wedding" that step away from the plot of the film and capture Delhi at evening -- Chandni Chowk, traffic at dusk, the paper kites above the old part of the city.

So I took a video camera to Marina Beach at evening, when Chennai comes out for a stroll after the heat has broken -- women in bright saris with jasmine in their hair, young couples, old women at fish stalls, kids at game booths, trinket sellers, and ice cream vendors.

I added a soundtrack by Shiv Subramaniam, Geetha's cousin and an accomplished singer of Carnatic music, whom I had recorded.  So here is a video postcard from Chennai.

Comments

[Yojna]

It is an amazing video as it reminded me of home and I missed India while watching it. The singer is also great and the idea of involving his wonderful voice with the video is just brilliant! It adds more emotions to an already emotional video of carefree kids and families enjoying themselves at the beach on a beautiful evening!!!

[linda aka YogaGal]

hope you don't mind, am putting this on my yoga blog....

peace!
(good to see you on IM again!)

[Preston]

Thanks, Linda!