A jamming session in progress
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
At 2am on KNK, the party is anything but over. Strumming guitars can be heard on Khadar Nawaz Khan Road, as impromptu jamming sessions take place.Women and men are in sunglasses at night time — fashion statements that the city is only used to seeing in night clubs. There fried chicken from small restaurants practically tumbling down the street, and film equipment of studio quality being dragged through bollards.There is a crowd that sings along to Tamil songs, with parts of English songs thrown in on occasion. Numbers grow as the night progresses, and those passing by are welcomed and encouraged to join in or just watch and vibe along. This is not an unusual night on this newly remodelled stretch. “It wasn’t a planned thing at all,” says Nilaa, an influencer witnessing the session. “It is really sweet and wholesome to see.”KNK reopened in February this year following months of construction. After the revamp it has been dubbed Chennai’s attempt at recreating Bengaluru’s Church Street. The similarities are evident with the cobblestone road, popular restaurants, and incessant flow of influencers shooting reels.As the sun starts to set and Chennai’s weather becomes more bearable, the college-going crowd claims the walkways. The road is illuminated with tall white streetlights, making it incredibly well lit come nighttime, and encourages one to stay for as long as they might want to. People sit to talk, pose audaciously for pictures, or ramble around as they take a break from cafe hopping. Many carry professional cameras with the hope of capturing interesting scenes. “This is a great backdrop to film things,” says Amit, who says he is shooting a short film. He holds a camera in one hand and wildly gesticulates with the other to get his shot. “You see a lot of interesting people. There’s a lot that can be done with the space.”
