Daily Thanthi’s Vanakkam Chennai Quiz: Chennai is more than just a city, says VJS

CHENNAI: Taking a trip down memory lane to the years before he became the popular actor that he is now, Vijay Sethupathi recalled his youthful days when he used to roam the nooks and corners of the city and how it grew to become a part of his own life.

The actor was addressing the gathering at the prize distribution ceremony of Daily Thanthi’s ‘Vanakkam Chennai’ quiz competitions for readers, in Chennai on Friday.

During his characteristically breezy speech that made the audience think and also had them in splits, the actor popularly called ‘Makkal Selvan’ described the experience that he had as a person who came to Chennai from the districts, the fun that he had with friends, and the life that he built here. In all that, Chennai that was Madras then was a backdrop, he said.

Sethupathi also recalled the personal connection he had with the Thanthi Group, noting that his wife worked at Hello FM during the period when he was searching for opportunities in cinema. “My wife’s salary fed me then, so I have a close connection with Thanthi,” he said.

He praised the enthusiasm of participants and said it was heartening to see many young people and children taking part in the ‘Vanakkam Chennai’ quiz competition that was conducted for readers earlier this month. Such involvement, he added, not only deepens their interest in the city’s history and culture but also broadens their understanding of society through the lens of politics.

Also present during the prize distribution ceremony were special invitees, Dr GV Selvam, Vice Chancellor, Vellore Institute of Technology; V Vinoth Vasanth Kumar, partner, Vasanth & Co; and J Jackson Samuel, director, Sathya Agencies.

The contests were organised in connection with the Vanakkam Chennai special supplement, which was published on November 15. Prior to that, readers were invited to send articles, rare photographs, and poems and drawings related to old Madras. A 10-day knowledge quiz on the city’s past was also conducted from November 1 to 10, along with a separate knowledge competition for students.

In the ‘Arivu Thiran’ category, Anantharaman won the first prize and went home with a 65-inch Samsung smart TV. Kalidas secured the second prize, an iPhone 16, and Safa Fathima received a Lenovo laptop as the third prize.

In the reader’s creative writing category, Prabha and Anuratha Sekar were chosen as the winners. Under the Students’ Knowledge Competition, Abarna, Jagapriya, and Bharath Kumar came first, second, and third, respectively.