Answer to Question 1
Chennai is a modern metropolis of up to seven million people; dominance of the film industry is apparent here; pop culture is juxtaposed with traditional Indian culture; and all the amenities (and drawbacks) of a modern urban area can be found in this city (electronic conveniences, modern hospitals, technical schools that feed the global high-tech industry, and so on).
Answer to Question 2
Madras was the British name for their provincial capital, but the city is known as Chennai. Chennai means the city in Tamil, the language of the region and the state of Tamil Nadu.