Actor y. Gee Mahendra remembers childhood in Madras
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Y. Gee Mahendra grew up happily in Madras, India, and fondly remembers Egmore as a central place in his childhood.
The actor spent much of his time at his grandparents’ house in Egmore, opposite the Museum theatre, where a nearby green space served as his imaginative playground. He began his theatre career in 1961 after frequenting plays at the theatre. Mahendra also described his parents’ smaller home in Nungambakkam as a hub for community activity.
The Nungambakkam Ladies Club met there, the Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan School began, and the United Amateur Artistes rehearsed their plays. His father’s involvement in theatre introduced Mahendra to prominent actors like Makkal Thilagam Sivaji Ganesan, Gemini Ganesan and Savithri Amma. The actor connected cherished memories with specific locations, recalling frequent visits to the Marina beach and watching the film Kadhalikka Neramillai repeatedly to see it.
Mahendra believes Madras instilled important values like friendship and innocence, qualities he feels are now missing from the city, now known as Chennai, where people are focused on survival.
