Five photographers capture the many faces of Chennai through their favourite frames

Five photographers capture the plenty of faces of Chennai through their favourite frames Updated – August 21, 2026 11: 27 am IST.

Key points

• Recalling the poster shoot for the 2003 Tamil film Boys, he notes the visually vibrant images created considerable attention at the time.
• Against the backdrop of World Photography Day on August 19, five photographers look back at their favourite frames of Chennai, and the memories that drew them to capture them.
• A woman catching crawn from Kosasthalaiyar River Photo Credit: Noor Nisha.
• Beyond the historical past of the city, photographer Noor Nisha's lens follows the lesser documented corners in the northern region of Chennai.
• Earlier, film publicity in Madras relied on painters who would create massive hand-painted hoardings, especially along Mount Road.

Like any other metropolitan city, Chennai is always on the move, chasing dreams and livelihoods. But in every nook and corner of the city – between the bricks of its colonial buildings and the folds of its shorelines – lie thousands of stories, informed and untold. The city reveals this side to those who pause and observe it.

"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, " notes Kiran Sa.

In his photograph, the Senate House of the University of Madras stands with its ornate arches and domes in the soft morning light, bringing alive the colonial history the city carries.

As a child, such fragments of history fascinated him, he notes. During the early days of his career, Kiran notes that these structures turned into informal classrooms as he practised capturing the photographs of these buildings to understand 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 notes, revealing that photographing the historical Chepauk Palace remains a dream. A woman catching crawn from Kosasthalaiyar River Photo Credit: Noor Nisha.

Beyond the historical past of the city, photographer Noor Nisha's lens follows the lesser documented corners in the northern region of Chennai. Her favourite photograph, taken from Kosasthalaiyar River near the Ennore Creek estuary, captures a woman from the Irular tribal community catching prawns for a livelihood.

"The photo additionally 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 notes.

As a woman from North Chennai, she feels deeply connected with the region and subject of the photograph. For her, photography is additionally a way of challenging the stereotypes attached to the region. "North Chennai is often portrayed in a negative light. I want to show the other side of it, beyond the stereotypes, " she notes. Fishermen rescuing the crew of MT Pratibha Photo Credit: Kabilan AP.

As much as Chennai is shaped by its struggles, it is additionally a city defined by the unity and resilience of its residents. One such moment was captured by photographer Kabilan AP in 2012 at Elliot's Beach when Cyclone Nilam drove the oil tanker MT Pratibha aground.

"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 solid waves and winds. Nevertheless, they managed to rescue most of the crew, " he states, recalling the story behind his photograph.

Expressing his solid dream of documenting the lives of residents in the city, he notes, "The heart of Chennai is the people in it." Portrait of a woman flower vendor Photo Credit: Neha Samuel.

For context, the strength and courage of the city is not only visible in moments of crisis but additionally in the frames of everyday life. Neha Samuel's portrait of a flower vendor on a street in Perambur captures one such moment.

For context, the photograph captures a woman carrying a stool on her head as she makes her way to sell flowers. "The morning light created 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, " she notes.

As a photographer, Neha notes she is more drawn to documenting the life of the residents.

For Neha, the photograph is additionally 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 additionally carry my own dreams and struggles, " she states. Poster of the film Boys Photo Credit: G Venket Ram. For generations, Chennai has additionally been remembered through its cinema.

"Earlier, film publicity in Madras relied on painters who would create massive hand-painted hoardings, especially along Mount Road. But with the arrival of the digital age in the late 1990s and early 2000s, digital prints and flex hoardings changed the way films were advertised, " notes G Venket Ram. This person has been working behind the camera for 30 years, recalling one of the transformations in the city's advertising landscape.

Recalling the poster shoot for the 2003 Tamil film Boys, he notes the visually vibrant images created considerable attention at the time. "The pictures were colourful and visually striking, and they created a lot of attention. It was a turning point in film publicity during that period, " he notes.

With social media yet to enter the publicity landscape, film promotions at the time relied heavily on billboards, posters and print "We would shoot different pictures – a romantic shot, an action shot or just an expression – and these were used for flex hoardings, CD covers, posters and newspaper ".

He additionally remembers the artists who painted the larger-than-life hoardings. "There were plenty of talented painters doing this work, but change is inevitable. Unfortunately, we lost out on plenty of of those artists."

In short, five photographers capture the many faces of Chennai through their favourite frames is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.