An Averse Acceptance

Ever since it was advertised that KFC-the American fast food restaurant was opening shop on Nungambakkam High Road at a short distance from my house, my daughter’s joy has seen no bounds. She is a great fan of the KFC chicken and not a day would pass without her peeping in to see if the shop had opened. The shop did finally open and Sridevi may be one of the initial customers to make a purchase. I did not accompany her on that day; however I went in a couple of days ago to order a meal for her. As I was coming out of the shop, I started thinking of the metamorphosis the road had undergone. Here was KFC at what used to be the house of one of our school mates. It had long ceased to be their house and was sold to other establishments before the latest occupant moved in.
With these thoughts in my mind, I tried to remember the glorious era of Nungambakkam High Road (NHR) during the 60’s and 70’s when I was a student of the Good Shepherd Convent. This road which takes off from the arterial Mount Road is less than two kilometers in length and ends at the Village Road (Now Valluvar Kottam High Road) junction. It was then a truly majestic road, with beautiful houses which boasted of well manicured gardens. It had a serene atmosphere and during the evenings when the sea breeze set in, both the sidewalks were perfect promenades. We as children would have criss-crossed that road a thousand times. It would either be to Sudha’s house to finish a project or to Lalitha’s house to pick up some things for a dance practice or to Meera’s house just to spend the day or to Madhulika’s house to clear a doubt. All these houses cease to exist now. For that matter there are no more independent houses on NHR. It has now become a hub of commercial activities what with the latest branded arrivals to the city making a beeline for it or to it’s off shoot the Khader Nawaz Khan Road. Between these two roads there is everything that the rich and the elite need.
The only commercial establishments on NHR of the 70’s were Gift Land and Shastri Enterprises. Two Mom and Pop stores whose mainstay was the students of Good Shepherd. It had all the stationary we ever needed and also innumerable comics and story books of the times. All our gift requirements were met in these two establishments and a birthday meant that we would dive in and after some negotiations come out with a perfect bargain. Gift Land closed shop a couple of years ago, however Shastri Enterprises still exists without much change to its old avatar. It is now a haunt frequented by Sridevi and her generation. To me it feels as if Shastri Enterprises is something personal which I bequeathed to my daughter. The first time something big came to NHR was when the Taj Group of Hotels decided to open their first property and thus was born Taj Coromandel. It was something Madras had not seen. Its more regal cousin (much later) the Connemara was the only elite hotel in the city and thus the new arrival was seen with awe. Its stately façade still gives it all the respect it deserves.
Gemini studios which occupied one of the corners of NHR and Mount Road was a leader when it came to the Indian Film industry. However with location shooting gaining popularity, they too had to shut down and in its place sprung a few hundred commercial establishments and residential apartments. Now the compound boasts of a series of Parsn Buildings. The latest to be included to this conglomerate is the Park Hotel – the most happening place for the hip hop crowd of Chennai. Another institution to have burgeoned on NHR is the MOP Vaishnava College for Women - a new entrant in women’s education. The fact that it is on NHR gives the girls that not so needed uppity attitude.
The road is now studded with far too many commercial establishments and with a new mall all set to make its appearance, a hundred high end stores can be expected. All the international sportswear brands have an outlet on this road and this includes Reebok, Adidas, Puma and Nike. Then there are the Marks and Spencers, United Colors of Benetton to name a few of the international brands. As for the made in India variety, there are far too many, what with Raymonds, Park Avenue & Louis Phillipe, Wills Lifestyle, Auroville and Cotton World all having their flagship stores. As for the trendy traditional wear, all the happening stores are situated in this stretch starting with Evoluzione to Rehane to Erum Ali to Satya Paul and ending with the much hyped Man Mandir and Signoraa. With so many stores one would think that all the clothing needs of the family would be met, but that is not to be. For to find a matching blouse fabric or a child’s daily wear clothes or a simple home wear outfit, the residents have to burn the precious fossil fuel and travel a few kilometers to the neighbouring T. Nagar. Even the Cottage Industries Exposition situated on NHR can only be frequented by the crème de la crème thanks to its exorbitant price tags. Of all the stores on the road, the one I walk in the most is the Landmark Book store, (although a bit pricey) which made its entry in 1987. It is ultimate to any book lover. When I talk of NHR, I do have to mention the pride of place which the Government Offices occupy. Like the affluent shops that are situated on the road, the two Central Government Offices which function here are also rich with income for they are the Income Tax and Central Excise offices.
The road has had a complete makeover and is now devoid of any past vestiges. The break from the past is total, for officially too its name has changed. It is no more NHR, but instead on a patriotic note, it has been renamed as UTTAMAR GANDHI SALAI which when translated loosely means Flawless Gandhi Road. It is really ironical that this High End Road should have been christened thus for the name seems to be in total contrast to all the establishments present here. But then who am I to complain on such a matter, for if MONT BLANC can have their most expensive pen named after one of the most simplest men of our times, it seems just fine to have this up market Chennai road named in honour of the same simple man. The fallout of this christening may take a positive turn when the future generations while in the midst of their shopping and other activities take a second off to ponder on the origin of the name. Until then my generation has no choice but to put up with this incongruity.