Chennaiites are back to making friends through curated old-school events 

In New York, people in their late 20s and early 30s have been discovering ways to make friends through ‘supper clubs’. At these gatherings, complete strangers are invited to the host’s apartment for a home-cooked dinner; the conversations flow easily from casual ice-breaker questions to deeper subjects. In Chennai, creatives are twisting this concept their own way, though it involves no supper, not yet.

In one such event called ‘Unar’ in the city, a group of strangers from different walks of life meet in an apartment-turned-event space and bond over pastries and watercolours. Whether you are an amateur or a professional artist, the doors open regardless. The bigger goal, the hosts say, is to come as strangers and leave as friends through the carefully curated games and creative sessions.

“We are a community where around 30 strangers come together to share their interests with like-minded people, learn to paint or crochet, and enjoy brownies while jamming to music,” says Noble, 26, founder, who is running a start-up alongside.

What started as a casual bi-monthly Saturday soiree for people in their 20s and 30s has now struck a chord across generations. “We recently had a mother to attend because her daughter, who lives in the U.K., booked a ticket for her. She showed up and left with a whole new circle of friends,” says Noble. He adds that nearly 30% of their participants are new to the city; they enjoy the old-school way of face-to-face conversations and building friends.

Durga Lakshmi Mohan, event head at Unar who recently underwent craniotomy surgery, says she is back to hosting events because being around people brings her joy. She adds that each event receives 150 to 200 enquiries, though there is room for only 32 participants.

In a similar fashion, Rekha Dandey, an MS survivor and founder of Twisty Tails (a pet-themed restaurant), has always felt that people in their 30s often hit a friendship slump, a social drought outside of work. That sense of isolation made her launch ‘The Strangers Meet’. “It’s a chill weekend hangout where strictly strangers come together for easy-going activities such as Pictionary, and thread formation,” she says. The whole idea is to unwind and make friends. People walk in not knowing anyone and leave with new bonds so strong that they plan to go on trips together,” she adds.

Many participants return to these events, even as new faces keep joining, say the hosts. Bharath, a business analyst from Chennai has attended the gathering six times, curated by Unar, and even gone to the weddings of friends he made there. “The space was thoughtfully curated to open up without the fear of judgment, and is much inclusive,” says a fellow attendee and freelance makeup artist, Shwetha Lakshmi.