The government might develop a Lalbagh in the middle of Chennai but Woodlands Drive-in restaurant was not just another restaurant that served Dosa, Idli, Chole Bhatura and filter coffee; it touched the lives of many Chennai-ites. Many have several nostalgic memories of the place. (Even this writer had done several interviews there under the trees.)
Being close to the now demolished Gemini Studios and the Film Institute at the Film Chamber, the Drive-in was the favourite haunt of many struggling actors, directors and writers. Many stories were written and discussed there. Many dreams were woven there.
Sahitya Academy award winning Tamil writer Ashokamitran still remembers vividly the day the Drive-in restaurant opened. He was working as a writer at the Gemini Studio then. From the time it was opened till he left the studio in 1966, he used to frequent the place.
"At that time it was not difficult to cross the road and go to the restaurant. I used to look forward to the morning shift so that I could go there and have breakfast. It was there that I had Chole Bhatura for the first time," he recalls.
The young writers of those days formed a small group called Ilakkiya Sangam and used to have literary meetings under the trees. There, they had readings of their unpublished short stories.
Though most of Ashokamitran's writing was done at the Natesan park in T Nagar, he has done some writing at the Drive-in too. One of Ashokamitran's most celebrated short stories, Ini Vendiyathillai (Not Needed Anymore), which was translated into many languages, was first read at the Ilakkiya Sangam meeting there. "In one of the story reading sessions, I read it out though it was a fairly long story. I would say it had its arangetram there. Subsequently it became a celebrated story. So, I can never forget that reading session."
After the reading session, if the struggling writers had enough money, they would buy coffee. "The coffee was slightly more expensive at 4 annas (25 paise) while it was only two and a half to three annas in other places. But the taste was simply amazing. Never once did their coffee disappoint me," Ashokamitran said.
"I did feel very sad when I heard that a landmark in Chennai will not be there anymore. A place that is a part of Chennai tradition is going to vanish completely. I have a lot of happy memories," said the disappointed writer.
Image: Fashion designer Sunil Menon at the Woodlands Drive-in restaurant
Also read: The world through the eyes of a gay person
Advertisement
