Memories of Ottrai Vadai Theatre - Unraveling the forgotten history

Can rubbles and debris on this place speak? By any chance, if they talk, we would learn so much of untold stories and forgotten history of Original Madras. 

Ottrai Vadai Theatre - no one literally knows this place now! Even those who have read or heard about this place do bother to visit the same. Hardly any city-based historian has uncovered this historic theatre's "correct" location. Strangely many heritage enthusiasts have wrongly identified the erstwhile Padmanabha Theatre as the original location of Ottrai Vadai.

Pronounced and written in various forms as Otha vadi, Otha vadai, or Ottra vadi, its proper name is Ottrai Vadai. It means a single row of structures. As the drama theatre was originally built with a temporary structure, having a single wall on one side as the only permanent structure, the theatre probably got this name. 

The Wall Tax Road in Chennai, where it was located, was referred to as Ottrai Vadai Street by the locals due to its popularity in those days.

Those were the golden days of Ottraivadai. It was such a popular and lively place. Hardly there was one in the then Madras who would not have known this place. 

The personal lives of the who's who of the city and the state's political history are intertwined with this small piece of land, which remains neglected now. 

Founded in 1872, Ottraivadai has so many memories...

This is the theatre where N S Krishnan was staging plays such as Manorama and Poompavai. 

What a fortunate stage Ottraivadai had! The best among best actors of Tamil cinema had performed here in their earlier days. To name a few - M.R. Radha, K.R.Ramasami, M G R, Sivaji Ganesan, S.V. Sahasranamam, V.K.Ramaswami, Thangavelu, T.S. Balaiya, Kaka Radhakrishnan and M.N. Rajam.

In the early 1940s, Sivaji Ganesan and MGR, two superstars of Tamil Cinema, lived near this theatre. They were just unknown drama artists then. 

It's known history that NSK and Tyagaraja Bagavatar were accused and arrested on counts of conspiracy to murder the journalist Lakshmikanthan. Not many know that the duo was blamed for having met the murderers to hatch the plan on 7th November 1944 in the Ottraivadai theatre.  

In the 1950s, M.R.Radha staged the controversial Ramayana play in this theatre.

Although a few people were referring to E.V.R as Periyar from 1928 onwards, the title was officially conferred on him by Tamil Nadu Women Conference held in this theatre on 13th November 1938. Dr. Dharmambal gave this title to him. 

There is a peepul tree about 200 meters from the Blue Star hotel on Wall Tax Road. In the opposite direction is a barren land filled with debris. It is hard to believe that this neglected piece of land is the historic drama hall. Unfortunately, true though... this landmark of greater importance is forever lost to time. 

Happy travelling.