Minister releases trailer of documentary showcasing Tamil Nadu’s wildlife

The Tamil Nadu Forest Department on Friday (September 12, 2025) unveiled the trailer for ‘Wild Tamil Nadu’, a wildlife documentary that showcases the rich biodiversity of the State.

The trailer of the documentary, launched by Thangam Thennarasu, Minister for Environment and Climate Change, and Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary to Departments of Environment, Climate Change, and Forests, is part of a CSR initiative spearheaded by Sundram Fasteners. It has been directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Kalyan Varma of Nature in Focus. Supported by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department, the film aims to spotlight the State’s ecological wealth.

The trailer offers a preview of Tamil Nadu’s wilderness, featuring mist-covered Ghats, the echoing sound of waterfalls cascading through the valleys, flocks of flamingos taking flight from sunlit wetlands, and elephants gathering by riversides in pristine forests. These visuals are part of the one-hour-long documentary, which will premiere in Chennai and tour major cities as well as international film festivals.

The film’s soundtrack, composed by three-time Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej, uses traditional Carnatic music with orchestral arrangements. The narration is done by actor Arvind Swamy.

Mr. Varma said that the ecology and wildlife of Tamil Nadu are unparalleled, with the breathtaking Western Ghats on one side and the coast on the other. “We have also made an effort to showcase lesser-known wildlife, such as the Madras Hedgehog, which, surprisingly to many, is the only mammal endemic to just one State in the country,” he said.

R. Dilip Kumar, Chief Financial Officer of Sundaram Fasteners, credited the vision behind the documentary to the firm’s Managing Director, Aarthi Krishna, and described the film as “a gift to posterity.”