Frame by Frame: Five Photographers Reveal Chennai's Hidden Stories
Chennai, like any major metropolis, is a city in perpetual motion, its streets buzzing with the energy of people chasing dreams and livelihoods. Yet, for those who pause and observe, the city reveals countless stories—etched in the colonial-era facades, along the shoreline, and in the daily lives of its residents. On the occasion of World Photography Day, five photographers share the stories behind their favourite frames of Chennai.
For Kiran Sa, the city's architectural heritage is a lifelong fascination. His photograph of the Senate House of the University of Madras captures the building's ornate arches and domes bathed in soft morning light. “There is nothing like Chennai in the early morning light. The best time to photograph architectural buildings is between 5.30am and 7am, especially when the sky is cloudy,” he says. As a child, he was drawn to these fragments of history; later, they became informal classrooms where he honed his skills in light, exposure, and framing. “Chennai is rich in such beautiful architectural buildings, designed in a way that allows natural light to fall beautifully on them,” he adds, noting that photographing the historic Chepauk Palace remains a dream.
The city's less-documented corners are the focus of Noor Nisha's work. Her favourite photograph, taken near the Kosasthalaiyar River at Ennore Creek, shows a woman from the Irular tribal community catching prawns for a living. “The photo also portrays the struggles of women. Catching prawns is their only means of livelihood. Although the river is polluted, they have no option but to depend on it,” she says. As a woman from North Chennai, Nisha feels a deep connection to her subject and region. “North Chennai is often portrayed in a negative light. I want to show the other side of it, beyond the stereotypes,” she explains.
Chennai's spirit of resilience is captured in a photograph by Kabilan AP, taken at Elliots Beach in 2012. When Cyclone Nilam ran the oil tanker MT Pratibha aground, a crowd gathered, helpless. “We all stood helpless, but suddenly, a cheer erupted. A fisherman's boat was speeding into the waters. When they finally managed to rescue the drowning crew, the whole crowd went wild. The fishing boat went back twice, battling strong waves and winds. However, they managed to rescue most of the crew,” he recalls. For Kabilan, this moment symbolises what Chennai is truly about: “The heart of Chennai is the people in it.”
Everyday strength is the theme of Neha Samuel's portrait of a flower vendor in Perambur. The photo shows a woman carrying a stool on her head as she heads to sell flowers. “The morning light made her shadow appear bigger. She was just an ordinary woman carrying a stool on her head, but when I looked at her shadow, it felt like she was carrying something much bigger—her struggles and her dreams,” Neha says. The image is also a reflection of her own journey: “She could have carried the stool in her hands, but she chose to carry it on her head. For her, it is the stool; for me, it is my camera bag. As a photographer, I also carry my own dreams and struggles.”
These photographs, taken together, offer a mosaic of Chennai—its past, its overlooked corners, its moments of crisis, and its everyday heroism. Each frame, frozen in time, tells a story that might otherwise go unnoticed. Through their lenses, these five photographers invite viewers to see the city not just as a place of movement, but as a repository of memory, resilience, and hope.
