A song, a theatre, and a fond farewell to a family friend

The Hindu

20-05-2025

It was in the April 30 edition of this column that I wrote about the song O Bak Bak Bak Bakum Bakum Mada Pura from the 1962 film Annai, speculating on the Madras bungalow where it was shot. I had in that column veered towards A. Nagappa Chettiar's bungalow Uma Bhavanam on Spur Tank Road. But even then, I had my doubts, because the building in the song is clearly colonial, while Nagappa Chettiar's house is Art Deco. I had wondered if the house had been remodelled since the song, but I now stand corrected.
However, C. Venkatachalam, the one person who could have reassured me beyond any doubt, died last week and so this column is a tribute to him as well.
Mudaliandan's house
But firstly, about the song. I was pleasantly surprised to receive an email from Chandrika Badrinath from London, stating that the house where this song was shot was the residence of C. Mudaliandan Chetty on Poonamallee High Road. The RBI quarters in the song cannot be seen from Spur Tank Road, she says. She would know, considering that all her childhood was spent at Ajmer, the residence of her father T.K. Singaram and grandfather T.S. Kachapikesan's on Poonamallee High Road. And, she added most helpfully, she recalls the shooting of the song very well because it created quite a stir, especially among the house help. I realise it is Ajmer that is the neighbouring bungalow seen in the song.
The house that Chandrika refers to, known as Manohar, stands behind the Ega/AnuEga theatres on Poonamallee High Road, with Vasu (Naidu) Street separating it from where Ajmer stood. C. Mudaliandan Chetty's is one of the historic Arya Vysya families of Madras, their fortunes made in condiments. The business was begun in 1884 by E(ga) Venkatakistnamah Chetty and by 1917, when Somerset Playne wrote his landmark Southern India, was run by the founder's grandson, Candalagadda Manavala Chetty. Mudaliandan Chetty was the latter's son. The family subsequently branched out into other activities.
New Year party
Manohar is a residence I knew very well at one time because Mudaliandan Chetty's son, C. Venkatachalam, was a family friend. For years, he hosted a New Year party on his front lawn, before that space was swallowed by a high rise. It was also Venkatachalam who built Ega/Anu Ega in the 1980s on a corner of the family plot. It was where many Hindi films, in particular, celebrated silver jubilees. No matter what the rush of bookings be, 'Uncle Venkat' was just a phone call away to usher you into a box. The same went for darshan at Srirangam. The Ega family ran a guest house there and a bonus was that the caretaker sold some wonderful pickles and masala papads. Among the many Arya Vysya charities Venkatachalam served on was the Sri Kanyaka Parameswari Devasthanam. He was among the visionaries that retrieved the property from the Kotwal Chavadi market and converted it into a women's college.
Uncle Venkat watched my writing career with interest, though he always told N. Krishnan, my father-in-law and his bosom pal, that I spent too much money buying books. He had a sharp eye for finding errors in any Arya Vysya history that S. Muthiah or I wrote about and would immediately call to correct us.
As he aged, we corresponded less and last week I spoke to his son Parankusan, asking if I could meet the old man on the Annai song. He would be delighted was the response, but then, Uncle Venkat passed on, on Friday. I hope he was smiling till the end.
(V. Sriram is a writer and historian.)