Is Chennai a conservative city?

The history of south India can be traced back to over 2,000 years. However, it was only 50 years ago when the four southern states were created along linguistic lines.

CNN-IBN unveils the changing face of south India and celebrates the Dravidian spirit in a special series The Golden South.

Chennai: Most people who come to Chennai are not sure if the city is conservative or not. But really, is it ever that black and white?

"I came to Chennai one-and-a-half years ago to study here. Before I came here, I heard the usual stuff about Chennai. People told me I'd find it very difficult in Chennai. Because it's conservative, the society is closed. They're not open to anything new or modern," said Deepti, a student.

"But you can everything you do in Bangalore. You can hang out with friends, there are lots of places to go to. If you're into clubbing, nightlife – there are enough places to go to. At the same time, you can also do other things like Carnatic music, traditions. So I think Chennai according to me, among all other metros, has the perfect balance between still maintaining your roots and accepting the new," added ex-Bangalorean Deepti.

"I really like the city, because wherever else I go, it's not so easy as Chennai is. Maybe I'm biased because I grew up here, played my cricket here," said Artist Alexander Zachariah.

But Singer Biswasjit Bonnie Chakraborty has another view.

"I moved out of Calcutta in 1999. I did face a problem with the local people here because they were irritated that I don't speak Tamil. Especially with auto people and all that. But I find that's kind of legitimate. I always believe that you can become one with the place only when you learn the language," said Biswasjit.