When Kalyan Varma began researching for the film Wild Tamil Nadu back in 2020, he was surprised at how little we know about the wildlife found in the state. “If you talk about wildlife in Tamil Nadu, what usually comes up is Mudumalai, the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, the Nilgiris or Anaimalai Hills,” says the Bengaluru-based wildlife photographer and filmmaker, the co-founder of Nature InFocus, the production house behind the documentary. Yet, all these places collectively represent only five percent of the area of the State, says Kalyan.
Tamil Nadu has state has an incredibly diverse landscape, ranging from 2700-metre high peaks to the most productive marine underwater life
| Photo Credit:
Nature InFocus
“You can get a checklist of some species, of course. But information about where you see them, who the scientists or researchers working on them are, and what the best place and time to film was just not there,” he says.
And yet, the State has an incredibly diverse landscape, ranging from “2700-metre high peaks to the most productive marine underwater life,” he says. “No other State has as many diverse landscapes.”
Thus began his quest to identify and document the wildlife that inhabits the State, turning to local people in each area to find them. “I did a lot of trips where I just stopped on the road and talked to the people,” recounts Kalyan. Some of the best ideas, in fact, he says, came from Instagrammers, who would often post reels or vlogs of the wildlife in their district. “I would contact these people on Instagram, and they would show you whatever you wanted to see.”
An Asiatic wild dog or dhole
| Photo Credit:
Nature InFocus
Wild Tamil Nadu contains plenty of footage obtained this way, including a rare glimpse of a Madras Hedgehog, a tiny, nocturnal mammal endemic to the dry arid regions and scrubby jungles of this area, a true “Tamil animal.” Produced by Sundram Fasteners as a CSR initiative and supported by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, the film features music by Ricky Kej and a voiceover by actor Arvind Swamy. “Tamil Nadu is proud of its language and heritage, which go back thousands of years. So, we wanted a voice that would do justice to it,” he says.
The idea for the film originated from an Instagram exchange between him and Arathi Krishna, Managing Director at Sundram Fasteners, in late 2019, shortly after the release of the film Wild Karnataka, which documents the rich biodiversity of the State. Arathi, he recalls, asked him if it was possible to do a similar sort of film, showcasing the wildlife of Tamil Nadu. “She said Tamil Nadu is a place where there is absolutely no ecotourism, and people don’t even know the kind of wildlife and diversity that is there.”
The arboreal and nocturnal in habit slender loris
| Photo Credit:
Kalyan Varma
From stunning aerial shots of courting leopards and cormorants swimming in single file to delightful closeups of tigers, hornbills, Indian giant squirrels, stilt-legged waterbirds, and fan-throated lizards, Wild Tamil Nadu opens the viewer’s eyes to the rich biodiversity of this State. The film is not just about beautiful landscapes and magnificent creatures of every size, but also about the people who share these areas with wildlife.
“Being filmmakers, we keep chasing the pretty stuff, but it is important to treat the landscape as a holistic thing,” he says. For instance, the team did not shy away from showcasing human modifications to the wilderness, like electric poles, shanties on the shore or sprawling tea estates. “We are conscious of the fact that it is a landscape where people and wildlife are living together, and showcasing both is the ethical thing to do.”
An aerial shot of elephants
| Photo Credit:
Nature InFocus
The film also draws from Sangam literature, which divides the ancient land of Tamilakam into five geographic zones based on their natural features — kurinji (hills), mullai (forests), marutham (croplands), neithal (coastal areas) and palai (arid land) — highlighting the life histories and behaviours of some of the wildlife in each of these regions.
“A friend introduced me to Sangam literature, sending me this beautiful high-level translation, where they talk about these five unique landscapes and the nature in them,” says Kalyan, who used this concept to structure the film, often relying on local photographers to get the footage he needed for the narrative to come together. “Across this landscape, the water starts in the mountains, comes through the forest, is used in the cropland and eventually reaches the ocean. So, we started with the hills and ended at the coast.”
Fan-throated lizard
| Photo Credit:
Nature InFocus
Kalyan, who is geared up for the film’s premiere in Chennai at PVR Sathyam Cinemas on October 16, also plans to ensure that there will be screenings across Tamil Nadu. “By November, we will also have a Tamil version, which we want to make public…give it free to anyone who wants to showcase it,” he says, adding that they also plan to submit the film to various festivals.
“Festivals are our secondary goal. Yes, global recognition is good, but our focus is mostly within India,” says Kalyan, who wants to both expose the people of Tamil Nadu to the vast diversity within their land and to showcase it to people outside the State. “We want this to be (about) Tamil pride.”
Published – October 07, 2025 12:16 pm IST
