Visakhapatnam: The city of destiny

We talk to a few popular denizens of the Port City to find out why Visakhapatnam is called 'the City of Destiny'

Vizag's tryst with destiny precedes the formation of India by over 100 years, going back to 1844! Sir Arthur Cotton, the legendary British general and engineer spent two years in Waltair, recovering from a 'jungle fever' that haunted him throughout his stay in the tropics. Even in his illness, he developed the Groynes in the sea, which helped break the waves and control erosion. He also redesigned and rebuilt St John's Church and drew plans for a port in the city.
It was the iconic former Vice Chancellor of Andhra University, Dr CR Reddy who is credited with coining the phrase 'City of Destiny' in the 1930s. He was instrumental in relocating the Andhra University, which was located in Bejawada to the port city which was then a little known fisherman's village — Waltair. Old towns like Ananthapur, Bejawada, Guntur, Machilipatnam, and Rajamundry, had greater credentials at that time since they were much more accomplished educational, cultural and business centers.
"Dr CR Reddy took the bold decision because he believed this was the city of the future. However, his vision of the city was very different from the burgeoning industrial hub and megapolis that it is on course to become. He envisaged that this fisherman's village would become the intellectual capital of the state," says A Prasanna Kumar, director, Centre for Policy Studies. But then destiny as they say, has its own plans and the Port city today is ranked among the fastest growing cities in the world.
Later on, it was Dr Abid Hussain, the legendary district collector and former ambassador to the USA who popularised the phrase, for he rightly believed that it was only a matter of time before Vizag realised its destiny of becoming one of the greatest cities in India, says A Prasanna Kumar, who has been living here for the last 58 years.
"I moved to Vizag in 1954 from Machilipatnam. The city was then called 'India in a Microcosm'. It is perhaps, the only city in the country which has had no history of communal clashes or caste conflicts. There is no narrowness of thinking. It allows outsiders to come and merge seamlessly with the human chain. The city is blessed with tremendous natural splendor and resources," he adds.
Legendary chief Justice, late PV Rajamannar's description of Vizag captures the essence of the city. "Nestled between the sea on one side and a mountain on the other, the city is unlike any other. The sea stands for dynamism, change and adventure and the mountain stands for permanence, tradition and values. A dialectical process is taking place in this beautiful city, shaping its destiny over the years."
Ever since, in various amounts, little bits of recognition have come in to the city through various forms — be it education, music, acting, art and sculpture. Some of these popular faces from Vizag who've made it big, share their thoughts about this City of Destiny has in store for the world.
Allu Arjun regards Vizag as his lucky charm. "All my films that were shot in Vizag (Arya, Bunny, Desamuduru, Julayi, Parugu, etc.) were superhits. Vizag is my lucky mascot. I shot for Arya at Kailasagri, the hilltop park with panoramic sea view. The whole unit enjoyed shooting in the serene atmosphere with greenery, fresh breeze and beautiful hills all around. We also shot the film in the adjacent picturesque valleys, which boast of beautiful flora, laterite hillocks and a pleasing landscape. Parugu, Bunny, Desamuduru and Julayi were also shot on the long and vast stretches of the seashore ( beach road) in Vizag. This is a popular spot for filmmakers as one can see the sprawling beaches, splendid monuments, ancient shrines, all along the road," shares Allu Arjun.
Renowned acting teacher Satyanand, who set up his acting school in Vizag as suggested by Megastar Chiranjeevi, found his calling in this port city. "I used to work as a character artiste and assistant director in Hyderabad. But I found my true calling only after moving to this beautiful city," he says.
"The tranquil atmosphere in Vizag gives you the right fillip to excel in your career. I enjoy a great freedom in my profession if I'm in this city and my institute is the first acting school in Vizag. Think it has something to do with the air in the city," says Satyanand. Tollywood superstars like Pawan Kalyan, Prabhas, Mahesh Babu, Ravi Teja, etc have all learnt their first lessons in acting at his acting school.
Music director and entrepreneur Ramana Gogula says it's the diversity that sets the city apart. "For me, the city is about the ocean and it has sown all the seeds of my creativity and it has taught me to dare to be different. There is so much diversity in the city that it allows people to be themselves. I remember many afternoons when I was down and out I would go and sit on the beach for a couple of hours and life would be okay again," he says.
Venkat Bothsa, an artist from the city says, "There's not a very big art scene in Vizag. But even if you drive for ten minutes in any direction, you come across such scenic beauty, that it gives you a beautiful background for your work.' He further speaks about the scope of art. "There's a lot of scope. The government has also allotted the Nandagiri Kala Gramam, which is a 5-acre land which has residential studios for various artists to work in."
Pop singer Smitha of Hairabba Hai fame, who recently opened a spa in the city talks about the scope of fashion and beauty in the city. She says, "People of Vizag have developed a taste for fashion. The last time when I came down, I saw that especially women are into affordable fashion and it immediately struck my mind that I have to give them something from my end and I opened up my spa here."