Broken bridge in Chennai: A bridge with no destination, until Tamil cinema stepped in

Say “A bridge to nowhere”, every old-timer in Chennai knows exactly what you mean. Overseeing the Adyar estuary, this wasn’t a half bridge when it was built in 1967, initially helped fisherfolk travel from Adyar to Srinivasapuram. It was meant to be their shortcut. However, nature had the final word in 1977. A part of it collapsed into the estuary due to a strong current, never to be repaired again. It is no riddle, of course, the Broken Bridge.

Since then, the structure has lived more in stories than in function. Many chilling stories surround the bridge because of its abandoned appearance and the crime rates ran high; it is often feared by the public and unwelcome too. Yet, its very emptiness and past familiarity turned it into a sought-after shooting spot for many filmmakers. Notably, the 1971 film Rickshawkaran featured a song Kadaloram Vaangiya Kaatru where MGR and Manjula dance on the standing full bridge. For a whole generation of millennials, this bridge is etched as the stage of the iconic showdown in Aayutha Ezhuthu(2004), where Michael(Suriya) and Inba ( Madhavan) square off against each other, a confrontation that escalates into a brawl, all on that narrow strip of a bridge.

The bridge is a metaphor and has lent itself to every narrative in movies from newfound relationships to bitter clashes. For Uma Vangal, a filmmaker, film professor and Associate Dean, School of Media at Sai University, the broken bridge is more like a symbol of broken ties, a bridge between the present and the past. “In terms of visual appeal, this is well constructed for confrontation, beginnings and endings. There are so many narrative purposes for this bridge, it can either be a rupture or meeting point for three different stories,” she says.

In many films, the broken bridge often makes a fleeting yet memorable appearance. Song sequences like ‘Oh Sona’ in Vaali (1999), Aaru (2005), Yaya (2013) and others, the bridge appears for its aesthetic appeal and its image now laced in a sense of nostalgia.

The bridge becomes more symbolic in Chennai 600028 (2007), where the age-old trope follows: enemies to friends. In one of its scenes, Raghu (Jai ) approaches Karthik (Shiva) and tells he needs to speak privately and they find themselves at the broken bridge. In the background, in the far distance, fisherfolk carry on with their work. Here, there is a sense of tension because the characters have always been hostile to each other, what could have escalated into a tussle ends in a hug, all at the bridge, when a secret shatters the hostility.

However, to reduce traffic congestion, GCC has initiated steps to construct a cable-stayed bridge across Adyar, connecting Srinivasapuram and Urur Kuppam to replace the broken bridge. A private consultant was roped in for designing the concept. And yet, broken bridge has become immortal in a way, through cinema.