Who are the people who make Chennai what it is? Visit the Humans of Madras Facebook page to find out

It was just another afternoon at school when the idea struck them. Today, their Facebook page Humans of Madras has attracted more than 3,800 likes over a period of four months. Varshita Ramesh, Abhishek Dash, and Prahalad Guru, the founders of the page that portrays interesting elements of a typical Chennaiite’s life, have caught the city’s attention.

Students of APL Global School, Kottivakkam, the team’s inspiration is the Humans of New York page that touched 5.3 million likes over four years. With classes and exams taking up most of their time, the team says that the page was initially started as a stress-buster. “We started it as a hobby and never thought it would receive so much appreciation,” says 16-year-old Varshita. The page attracted 1,000 likes within a week of its launch.

The human element in the pictures, along with a caption or a few lines supplied by the senders make their page special. They make sure that every picture uploaded reflects the people of the city, and its culture, and that it has a story to tell. The vibrant team is also planning to launch a Humans of Tamil Nadu page in the future.

The streets of Chennai have taught the youngster a lot. “There have been times when people refused to let us take their picture. On the other hand, senior citizens were ready to flash their smiles,” says 17-year-old Prahalad, a photographer.

Humans of Madras was initially introduced with photographs clicked by the team. It then evolved into an open platform, where aspiring photographers across the city could send in entries.

“At the end of the day, Chennai is one big, happy family and we all come together to celebrate it,” says 17-year-old Abhishek, the other photographer in the team.

To them, the technicalities of a photograph do not matter. After all, its human emotions that make Humans of Madras special. Check out their page at www.facebook.com/humansofmadrascity

At the end of the day, Chennai is one big, happy family and we all come together to celebrate it