#vyasarpadi

[niyantha]

I’ve written and directed three episodes in This Is My Hood, a new documentary series produced by Red Bull Media House and Supari Studios. The series explores the rise of hip-hop communities across India, and you can watch it here:

Chennai: https://www.redbull.com/int-en/episodes/this-is-my-hood-s1-e4

Kolkata: https://www.redbull.com/int-en/episodes/this-is-my-hood-s1-e2

Delhi: https://www.redbull.com/int-en/episodes/this-is-my-hood-s1-e3

[indizombie]

At North Chennai’s boxing culture can be traced back to the 70s, when mud grounds in Vyasarpadi throbbed with action from impromptu boxing tournaments. Boxing coach J. Loganathan feels that the nearby Nehru Stadium has a lot to do with this. “Locals witnessed boxing greats such as Muhammad Ali in all his glory at the stadium,” he says. Gradually, the sport seeped into the nooks and crannies of North Chennai. Local grounds doubled as boxing rings and gangs were formed. Loganathan recalls that there existed two schools of boxing in the area — the ‘Idiyappam Parambarai’ and ‘Salpattrai Parambarai’. “Their styles were completely different,” he says. Even today, boxing legends such as Dilli Babu and Vadivel are spoken of with reverence. “They were heroes during those times,” says Loganathan.

Akila Kannadasan, 'Rolling with the punches', The Hindu

[zmhsrk]

Easily one of the best films of 2014