“Lights, camera, action.” That could well have been the call echoing through Quibble Island Cemetery. This is no ordinary burial ground. It is a favored location for Tamil movie directors seeking a dramatic backdrop.
Welcome to Quibble Island Cemetery a place where history and cinematic drama intertwine. It is located on a river island in Chennai. This serene location holds stories of both life and afterlife. Before British colonization Quibble Island wasn’t an island at all. It was a network of inter-tidal channels.
Let’s step back to 1796. James Brodie a British civil servant, secured 11 acres on Quibble Island. He then built Brodie Castle. By 1798 a survey showed two properties on the island. But by 1816 the island was marked blank.
Quibble Island Cemetery is more than graves and tombstones. In October 1746 it was the stage for the Battle of Adyar. A small French force triumphed over the Nawab of Arcot’s 10000-strong army. This proved the value of military training.
Today Quibble Island Cemetery sees movie shoots. A shootout among the graves. A surreptitious body disposal behind a silk cotton tree. A tearful hero at his father’s tomb. Even a hooded cobra emerging from a headstone. According to caretaker Paul Raj Mysskin’s movie “Onaayum Aatukuttiyum” filmed here in 2013.
The Padmanabhan committee has recognized the cemetery as a Grade 1 structure. This means it’s an important landmark in Chennai. It is one of three cemetery groups that emerged on the city’s outskirts in the early 1900s.
Since 2007 the cemetery is divided. The left side falls under the CSI Thomas English Church. The right side is under the Santhome Basilica of the Roman Catholic Order. Space is limited and the churches no longer accept new burial applications. These are family graves.
The entrance features an exposed brick gate with a pointed archway and rooms on each side. The tomb of William and Amelia Donahue’s three children is a centerpiece. They died between 1882 and 1885 all between one and three years old.
Archaeology may overlook cemeteries due to their age. Many are under private care. But Intach’s S Suresh notes the historical value. He says cemeteries connect us to history and can boost tourism.
Historians searched for Robert Brucefoote’s grave for decades. He is the father of pre-historic archaeology in Chennai. His discoveries reside in the Egmore Museum. His grave was finally found in Yercaud.
As you leave Quibble Island Cemetery consider its layers. From battleground to burial ground to backdrop. This island whispers tales of Chennai’s past and present. It shows us that history can always find new ways to come alive.