Meet ‘traffic solutions' Suresh: This Tamil actor's ideas are changing Chennai's OMR
Suresh Chandra Menon is explaining the need for a U-turn at a particular stretch in the OMR when a lorry hurtles towards him, on the wrong side of the road. Soon, a few other vehicles pile up behind the lorry. Within minutes, there is a traffic jam.
Sensing chaos, Suresh jumps into action. He strides to the middle of the road, blocks traffic on one side for a few seconds and lets the lorries go. It is a quickaction that has averted a major traffic pile up.
The actor-cinematographer, most famous among Tamil film audiences for his role in 1993's Pudhiya Mugam (which translates to 'new face'), now has a new face. On the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), where he resides, Suresh Menon is widely known as a 'traffic planner'. 'Traffic is not just a road issue,' he says, 'It has a huge bearing on people's time and money. Smoother traffic regulation can lead to higher savings for the city's residents.'
This journey started almost 15 years back, when one of Suresh's initial suggestion – for a roundabout near Raj Bhavan – was implemented by the city's traffic authorities. 'There used to be five signals at that place, and having a roundabout meant that people could proceed smoothly instead of waiting,' he says. Making the flyover near IIT-Madras two-way instead of one way was his next suggestion, and he reasons, 'That way, there would be a little more movement and less traffic congestion at Madhya Kailash.'
Suresh's ideas are a result of much work. 'I would have done 30-40 rounds at each junction, during all times of the day, to get an idea of the traffic flow. Based on my study, I work on a possible solution, put it down on a piece of paper and send it to the Additional Commissioner of Traffic, who will in turn consider it based on other factors. Over the years, I think the traffic authorities have gotten more confidence when I go to them these days,' he says.
Keep moving
While he travels across the city for work – Suresh is busy with a directorial project now apart from acting in a few films– his 'passion project' lies somewhere in the ever-busy OMR that now has active Metro Rail construction going on. And this, combined with IT offices urging employees to report back to workplaces in a post-pandemic scenario, has resulted in more traffic chaos. 'We have done seven U-turns, based on a 60-page document that covers every junction from Navalur till Madhya Kailash. Right now, we can drive this entire stretch in 50 minutes during non-peak hours, without wasting time at any signals. You might need to move slowly if there's a big vehicle in front of you or near the U-Turns, but you keep moving. That's the key.'
Suresh's solutions have primarily been for the OMR, but his recent suggestion has also improved traffic issues near the Kamakshi Hospital junction at Pallikaranai. 'People don't realise that these simple solutions save them a lot of fuel and many man hours, not to mention the pollution caused while idly waiting at signals. Every 10-12 minutes is a litre of petrol or diesel. Every minute counts when you're stuck in traffic,' says Suresh, who has now suggested a solution near Thoraipakkam's Chennai One campus, where, he says, a traffic signal is operational just for visitors to the IT park.
So, why is the actor so passionate about traffic? 'You can sit and keep complaining about things or you can find a way. I think I chose the latter. What I'm doing is not rocket science; it's just based on common sense. As citizens, we have to realise that these small things make a difference to our quality of life and our children get a more pollution-free Chennai to live in.'
A new face
Suresh Chandra Menon's most memorable film outing was in 1993's Pudhiya Mugam, starring Revathy and Vineeth. A thriller that had the protagonist undergoing plastic surgery to possess a new identity, the film had music by AR Rahman, whose melodies in it are popular till date. Thirty two years later, Suresh looks back at it fondly. 'I was not supposed to act in it but I had to, because the top heroes of that time were not willing to work with a new director. It was the first film to be shot in Sri Lanka after the riots. Arvind Swamy and Vikram dubbed for it.'
Subsequently, Suresh has done a few roles in films and was involved with the television industry. 'I was off the media industry for more than 10 years, till I took up a role in Suriya's Thaana Serndha Kootam (2018). Since then, I've done about 20 films, in various languages. I think I'm a bad actor, because there are very few roles I can fit into, like a cop or villain or heroine's father.'
Currently, Suresh is directing a project, after almost three decades. 'The shoot is over and we plan to release it in the next few months. The story revolves around Gen-Z; I feel every 18-25 year old will relate to it.'
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