Tamil Cinema is kown for romance and family drama. The hub of the Tamil film industry.

is in the Kodambakkam neighbourhood of Chennai. Kollywood is a colloquial term used

to describe this industry, the word being a portmanteau of Kodambakkam and Hollywood.

The first Tamil silent film, Keechaka Vadham, was made by R. Nataraja Mudaliar in 1918.

The first talking motion picture, Kalidas , was a multilingual and was released on 31 October 1931.

Tamil cinema later had a profound effect on other filmmaking industries of India, establishing Madras

as a secondary hub for Hindi cinema .Tamil films from India established a global presence through 

distribution to an increasing number of overseas theatres in Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Japan, the

Middle East, parts of Africa, Oceania, Europe, North America and other countries.

Ever since Tamil cinemas was termed as Kollywood Tamil movies have been published in theatres

all around the WORLD.

Over the recent years Kollywood has gained a name with some extra ordinary fame.

~Michelle

Who doesn’t like to spend a peaceful evening by the beach, munching on burnt corn with the wind passing through and a beautiful view? Well, the perfect spot for the same is a beach. Infact a not-so-crowded beach. Last week I visited this the N4 beach. It’s a harbour located in Kasimedu, north of Chennai. It’s not a very popular beach so there weren’t a lot of people which actually helped me calm my mind and also gave me a relaxing vibe. A cool breeze blew and along with this breeze came tiny bits of salty sand blowing all over the place. There are a variety of colourful boats and huge stones where people sit, gazing at the gentle sea. Listening to calm music just adds on to the beauty of the beach.

There aren’t a lot of food stalls, but there definitely is one corn and raw mango stall, without which a beach is incomplete. This corn locally known as bhutta is roasted on the sigree and is flavoured with lemon and masala. These road side stalls give a different kind of satisfaction and has better food and gives a better experience than any big restaurants that we know of.

What could be more satisfying than watching the sunset on a beach? The ocean water, mirroring the sky colours looks serene and gives a very alluring view. I wish there was a pause button so I could watch this appealing sunset all day.

A day spent on the beach is definitely a well spent day! Being a Chennaite, if you haven’t visited this place, then you’ve surely missed on the nature’s aura.

If you’ve already been to this place, do drop in your reviews and if not this is surely a must visit!

~Muskaan Shah

Chennai is known for famous and remarkable places some of these places are Marina beach , Santhome Cathedral , Kapaleeshwarar temple , Vandaloor Zoo , 

Government Museum and Besant Nagar beach . 

Marina beach is the second longest beach in the world and it is a blessing to Chennai . Kapaleeshwarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to lord Shiva located in Mylapore. It is also another famous tourist spot as it inherits great indian carvings . 

San Thome Church, also known as St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica and International Shrine of Saint Thomas is a Roman Catholic minor basilica in Santhome.It was built in the 16th century by Portuguese explorers, over the tomb of Saint Thomas.

The Government Museum or Madras Museum is a museum of human history and culture located in the neighbourhood of Egmore in Chennai .It is particularly rich in archaeological and numismatic collections. It has the largest collection of Roman antiquities outside Europe.

Vandalur Zoo is a zoological garden located in Vandalur .It is affiliated with the Central Zoo Authority of India .The zoo houses 2,553 species of flora and fauna across 1,265 acres. 

Elliot’s beach is located in Besant Nagar. 

It has a great stretch of exciting food outlets . 

Chennai might be a small city but it is a city full of wonders ! 

~Michelle

MOM! The first thing that comes to our mind when we here this three letter word is our mother. Well, there’s another expansion of MOM. Makers of milkshake (MOM) are always known for their taste and the consistency of the shakes that they provide. A friendly place with friendly staff will make you visit it again and again. This place is one of that kind. It’s a pleasant place to hangout and it has a nice ambience. There are beanbags and swings placed everywhere. It has great aesthetics with a pool table, other board games and a decent parking lot as well. With respect to their prices, they sell unique and signature shakes at a consistent price. It has a variety of milkshakes. This place would definitely satisfy anyone’s sweet tooth cravings. There are around 8 branches. I visited the Kodambakkam outlet.
Belgian dark chocolate milkshake- I went for it since since it was marked as one of their bestsellers. Though it wasn’t phenomenal, it was super smooth, sweet and was teasing the tongue with its dark chocolate touch. Definitely a stiff competitor for the shakes in Thick Shake Factory, Keventers or Macca.

Butterscotch milkshake- Add-on with choco chips. Typical scotch flavour with its conventional caramel crunches all around. It wasn’t completely shaken and had settled in scoops underneath.

Oreo Go Nuts shake- The best I had tried until now at this place. The Oreo was ground well with peanut taste all around. There was no coarse texture and it was smooth till the end.

Nutella shake- Thick, very slurpy, expected a Nutella domination but the taste of the add ons took the front seat.

Chocolate brownie shake- Beaten to powder choc brownie, well mixed with the chocolate shake. A little coarse but thick and beatific.

This place is very environment friendly and silent. I’d give this place a 4.7/5 and would strongly recommend y’all to go and try their milkshakes. If you’ve already visited this place, don’t forget to drop in your favouritest shake and if not do visit it and describe your experience in the comments section below.

~Muskaan Shah

If you want a view of the famous Marina beach from a great height then you will love the lighthouse. It is a famous landmark on the Marina Beach in Chennai.The lighthouse was opened in January 1977. It also houses the meteorological department. On 16 November 2013, it was reopened to visitors. It is one of the few lighthouses in the world with an elevator.

It is also the only lighthouse in India within the city limits.It is also a green lighthouse, with a solar panel for power. It is 150 ft tall .The present lighthouse is the fourth lighthouse of Chennai. Before the end of the 18th century, when Madras was an open sea shore, where goods were loaded and unloaded from boats, bonfire lit by fisherwomen was used to guide the menfolk to the shore. The arrangement of exhibiting light to assist British East India Company‘s vessels arriving at Madras and to enter the port during the 17th and 18th centuries is not known since no record is available. The first conventional lighthouse was proposed in 1795, the very year when the first census of the city was taken.

Chennai Lighthouse is one of the 13 lighthouses in India that are identified as heritage centres to portray maritime history of India.The union shipping ministry is planning to build museums, rooms, cafeteria, souvenir shop, viewers gallery, 4D cinema hall, gaming zone and aquarium at the Chennai lighthouse.

If these plans are successful we can already see the blockbuster our lighthouse is going to be ! 

~Michelle

Nungambakkam is the heart of the city and the most famous area for college 

sweethearts . The khadar Nawaz Khan road is the silver lining of the area which is always packed with youth crowd and is known for its liveliness. Most of the reputed colleges are situated in this location hence it is always crowded even at odd hours. 

Nungambakkam is one of the wealthiest localities in the heart of Chennai, India’s fourth largest metropolitan city. The neighborhood is abound with multi-national commercial establishments, important government offices, foreign consulates, sprawling educational institutions, shopping malls, sporting facilities, tourist spots, star hotels, restaurants, and cultural centers. Nungambakkam is also a prime residential area in Chennai. The adjoining regions of Nungambakkam include Egmore, Chetput, T. Nagar, Kodambakkam, Choolaimedu and Kilpauk. 

Almost 90% of Chennai population passes through this area atleast once a day . 

It holds a lot of college and school memories and the most famously expensive ice-cream parlours. 

The name ‘heart of the city ‘ is justified . 

~Michelle

Goli Soda was originally found in North India but then as time passed by it made its mark in South . 

This famous drink was long forgotten until the song rowdy baby in which it appears in the first line “hey en Goli Soda ve “ 

The drink is often sold mixed with lemon juice, crushed ice, chaat masala and kala namak (black salt). This drink ranges from ₹10-₹30. This was earlier sold in paise but however now with the return of it after the song it has become exclusively pricey . 

the first sip of the drink evokes a plethora of memories. Every other person has a fond memory or story to share over this drink . The excitement and the joy just at the sight of Goli Soda is priceless . 

Balaji Rajan an entrepreneur gave Goli Soda a total makeover and brought it back into the market . “Aiya! goli soda!That’s the initial reaction Balaji Rajan receives from most of his clients. “The excitement I spot in their eyes encourages me to move forward with this venture,” says Rajan. Goli Soda is a signature drink no matter however wealthy or sophisticated you maybe this drink can bring out the child in you !! 

~Michelle

The name Maplai itself is very ancient and traditional . 

In accordance to the name ‘Maplai’ this place consist of a display of ancient madras with its paintings on the walls and the indian sweet truck .It is known for its veg and non veg indian thali . This restaurant situated in Nungambakkam and Kilpauk inherits the indian spice and aroma . They serve a huge variety of indian food at a very nominal rate . It serves exotic indian desserts like karupattimisu , 3 way vattalappam , Jigarthanda and wheat halwa. They serve over 35 items in the lunch buffet consisting of kozhi Kaal , mutton keema , nandu rasam and  mutton biryani and much more in the non veg section and paneer masala , veg biryani and aloo partha and so much more . 

This restaurant has also received an award from the health and cleanliness department of Chennai . 

For all the indian food lovers out there don’t forget this hot outlet ! 

~Michelle

Spencer plaza is a shopping mall located on Anna Salai in Chennai . It was Originally built during the period of the British Raj . It is the 11th largest mall in the country, with a gross lettable area of 530,000 sq ft.

This huge mall is the only place where you can find Kashmiri pashminas and ancient ornaments . It is still one of the most famous malls . It has several local and international brands such as Nike, Adidas, Bata, Regal, Health & Glow, Vummidiars, Van Heusen, Proline, Allen Solly, Florshaim shoes, Lipton, Louis Philippe, Titan, Levi’s, Casio, V.I.P. Luggage, Spencer & Co ,Timex Watch Showroom, Swatch, Cookie Man, BPL (Profx), Color Plus, Navigator, Witco, Pantaloons ,Arrow, Lee, Music World , Food World, HSBC, ABN AMRO, American Express, McDonald’s . 

This mall can suit any budget and is known for its great ambience . 

If you’re a shopaholic who likes low budget shopping then this is a “must visit “for you !

~Michelle

Marina Beach is the second longest urban beach in the world. The white sands of this beach  stretch far into the horizon and this makes it one of the most stunning beaches on the Indian coast. Essentially an urban beach and tourist hot spot, this place welcomes around thirty thousand tourists and locals every day. Other than the waves, this beach offers statues of heroes of the past, as well as an aquarium housing rare and beautiful sea and freshwater creatures. It is open around the clock and it is famous for photography , seaside walk and nature lovers .

Some traveller Tips 

• Visit the beach early in the morning when the weather is not humid and you will enjoy your trip even more.
• Wear comfortable clothes and use sunscreen.

If you’re a person who loves to travel and explore then Marina Beach situated in Chennai should be on your list.

~Michelle