CHENNAI: "Enna ma kili paaka vanthirukiya? (Are you here to look at the parrots?)”. As you enter Iyya Mudali Street in Chintadripet, more often than not, you encounter this question. Any visitor answering ‘yes’ and seeking directions is led to the street’s end to door no. 2. Built in a traditional style of architecture with colonial influences — evenly spaced windows and doors, supportive columns, and sloped tiles — this is home to two adults and hundreds of birds and is frequented by 50 stray cats and dogs and about 150 goats.
The nameplate on the door reads ‘M.Sah residence’. Sudarson Sah, the Birdman of Chennai, resides here. The 53-year-old animal lover has been feeding soaked rice and raw peanuts to thousands of parrots on this house’s terrace for 15 years.
Anyone who has watched the late September-released Tamil movie Meiyazhagan, would have been mesmerised by the shot of several green-winged birds making their way to a terrace, neatly lined with morsels of food. The protagonist, Arvind Swamy’s Arulmozhi Varman, is inspired by Sudarson, whose passion caught director C Prem Kumar’s eye. “Prem sir followed my work for over a year on social media. Inspired, he approached me in December 2023,” shares Sudarson.
Real to reel
When he gave a green signal for shooting, the actor and the team visited Sudarson in February this year. “Arvind Swamy came here, observed my movements, and practised the same for two months and the shoot was scheduled in May,” he shares. The team shot this scene for three hours on a hot summer day. In the movie, the clip spans just a mere two minutes and a few seconds, yet it manages to capture the fancy of many.
Fourteen minutes into the movie, the shot opens with a flock of parrots chirping and foraging for food. In the next scene, Arvind Swamy wearing a white t-shirt, black strap watch, and trousers arranges a handful of soaked rice, peanuts and guava on wooden planks. “The birds are familiar with my presence. So, sir’s (Arvind Swamy) costume was similar to how I dress up when I feed them. The team got the details right,” says Sudarson.
He goes on to share some behind-the-scene action while the shoot was set up. “Prem had total control over the shoot. All the cameras, lights, mics and other equipment were stationed 20 feet from the feeding area,” he says. Additional directors, actor Karthi, his family, and others from the crew — a total of 100 members — gathered for the shoot. “They told me ‘we feel peaceful here’ after watching the birds,” he adds.
A life-changing habit
Sudarson took to this bird-feeding journey to address his inner chaos and find peace. “Fifteen years ago, my father passed away and I was depressed,” he recalls. Trying to cope with the loss, Sudarson was strolling on the terrace. He saw one of his neighbours feeding a crow. Yearning to do the same, he left some rice the next day on his terrace and crows assembled.
Following this practice for a few days, Sudarson understood that grain consumption differs among birds. “There is a variation in size. Parrots prefer puzhungal arasi (boiled rice), whereas pigeons cannot consume peanuts as they are stuck in their throat,” he informs. Learning this from social media, books, and through wisdom shared by others, Sudarson wanted to focus on preserving this species.
“During monsoon, trees are cut, uprooted or they fall. The birds that build their nests in these trees become homeless and starve. That is why I feed them twice a day,” notes Sudarson. He wakes up at 4.30 am, prepares food for the birds, feeds them at 6 am, and repeats the same in the evening.
Rose-ringed parakeets — with their red beak, blue tail, loud ak ak sound and often found in large company — frequent the open area. “These parakeets have their position marked on the planks. They poop at a spot and mark their territory. If someone occupies the point, they fight with their beaks,” shares Sudarson, adding “They are my children.”
Sudarson has dedicated his life to bird-feeding and his wife has supported him in this journey. The other well-wishers include neighbours and people on the Internet. “Foreigners look at my videos on Instagram and visit the place. They bring along rice and peanuts. It helps us because 20 kg of rice is required each day which costs up to `3,000,” he explains.
As Sudarson was detailing his journey to CE, a few visitors made a beeline to the terrace. Among them is Bridget Woods from the UK. “It is magical because I have seen it on Instagram and kept looking at it. But, to actually come down and experience it is something different. To see so many birds in one place is special,” she says. Her friend Carol Jacob from Australia shares, “It takes a lot of commitment for him to come and feed the animals and birds every day. He is doing amazing work.”
Garnering international attention, Sudarson also has several local followers. “Prem sir was very happy and gave me a cat named Samuthrakanni. Like Meiyazhagan, the movie Singapore Salon and many other short films were shot here because this place promotes calm and quiet. We (humans) keep running every second, there is hardly a moment in a day where we relax and nurture Mother Nature. I love doing that. Nature is my god and I love serving it,” he concludes.
Watch Sudarson feed birds at No.2, Iyya Mudali Street, Chintadripet. For appointment, reach out to Sudarson @sudarsonsah on Instagram.