Actor Y. Gee. Mahendra Recalls Egmore Childhood and Theatre Beginnings

Veteran actor Y. Gee. Mahendra has recounted his childhood and early artistic beginnings in Egmore, Madras, describing the area around the Museum Theatre as a defining influence on his life and stage career. Reflecting on his formative years, Mahendra stated that his journey in theatre commenced at the Museum Theatre in 1961.

Mahendra noted that he was born and raised happily in Madras, spending much of his childhood at his grandparents' house situated directly opposite the Museum Theatre in Egmore. He recalled that the green space behind the theatre served as a playground where he and his friends imagined themselves in the Amazon and the Congo, with him playing Tarzan and Phantom. In the evenings, they frequently watched dramatic plays staged at the venue.

While staying in Egmore, Mahendra visited his parents on weekends at their home in Nungambakkam. Although it was a very small house, the premises served as a bustling cultural and community hub, hosting meetings of the Nungambakkam Ladies Club as well as evening rehearsals for the United Amateur Artistes drama troupe. The residence was also the site where the Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan School was first established.

Mahendra explained that his father worked as an ordinary government servant while also being an established theatre personality. Through his father's theatrical background, Mahendra had opportunities from a young age to interact with leading film personalities, including Makkal Thilagam Sivaji Ganesan, Gemini Ganesan, and Savithri Amma. These early associations eventually shaped his own entry into the cinema industry, which began in Madras and established him as a prominent actor.

Looking back at the city during the 1960s and 1970s, Mahendra recalled a famous eatery that operated along Marina Beach, adding that he watched the movie Kadhalikka Neramillai 20 times just to see the beach on screen. He observed that Madras taught its residents foundational values and the meaning of friendship. Speaking to Deepa H. Ramakrishnan, Mahendra remarked that Madras possessed an innocence that is missing in modern Chennai, where people have instead had to fight for survival.