The Tamil film Meiyazhaganbrought Chennai's extraordinary human-bird connection to global screens. But in Chintadripet, one man has been living that story — quietly, devotedly — for over 16 years.
Meiyazhagan is a Tamil language film that explores themes of solitude, devotion, and the profound relationships humans form with nature — particularly with birds. The film resonated deeply with Tamil audiences precisely because it reflects a truth they already know: such people exist in real life.
When the film was released, viewers immediately drew connections to Chennai's own living legend — Sudarson Sah, the man Chennaites call Kili Sudarson(கிளி சுதர்சன்), or simply “The Birdman of Chennai.”
The film brought thousands of new visitors to Chintadripet eager to see the real version of the story — a man who doesn't need a screenplay because his life is the script.
The themes that made Meiyazhagan resonate so deeply exist, fully realised, on a rooftop in Chintadripet.
In Meiyazhagan
A man with an extraordinary bond with birds
In Real Life — Sudarson Sah
Sudarson Sah has spent 16+ years building an unbreakable bond with ~6,000 wild rose-ringed parakeets — feeding them twice daily, speaking to them by name, and earning their complete trust.
In Meiyazhagan
Devotion as a daily spiritual practice
In Real Life — Sudarson Sah
Every single day — rain, heat, illness — Sudarson rises before dawn to prepare food. His relationship with the birds is not a hobby. It is, as he describes it, a calling.
In Meiyazhagan
A quiet life that touches thousands
In Real Life — Sudarson Sah
A retired man on a pension, living modestly in a Chintadripet terrace house, has become a destination for visitors from 50+ countries. His story has been covered by BBC, National Geographic, and major Indian media.
In Meiyazhagan
Nature as a mirror for human connection
In Real Life — Sudarson Sah
The parakeets land on Sudarson's outstretched arms — a relationship so intimate that it defies the boundary between wild and tame. He says they sense his mood and comfort him on difficult days.
In 2008, Mr. Sudarson Sah— a retired resident of Chintadripet, one of Chennai's oldest neighbourhoods — began leaving out rice for a few stray rose-ringed parakeets he noticed visiting his terrace. It was a small act of kindness, done for the simple joy of it.
Within a few years, word spread through the parakeet population in ways no human could orchestrate. Hundreds became thousands. Today, every evening at 4:30 PM, approximately 6,000 wild parakeets descend on his rooftop — not because they are caged or trained, but because they choose to come.
Sudarson spends a significant portion of his pension on rice, peanuts, and seed. He has never asked for payment and never turned a visitor away. He calls the birds his family. They, in turn, land on his arms and shoulders — a level of trust that takes years to earn from wild creatures.
While Meiyazhagan tells a fictional story, Sudarson's story is entirely true — and has been documented by the BBC, National Geographic India, and dozens of international media outlets. His sanctuary has welcomed visitors from over 50 countries.
"Every evening at dusk, thousands of parakeets descend on one man's Chennai rooftop — a daily spectacle that has drawn visitors from across the world."
— BBC"What Sudarson Sah has built is not a zoo or a sanctuary in the traditional sense. It is a covenant — between a man and the wild creatures who chose him."
— National Geographic"Kili Sudarson has spent his retirement savings feeding wild parakeets every day for over a decade. The birds come back not because they must, but because they want to."
— The HinduNo screen can capture the sound of 6,000 wings, the warmth of Sudarson's welcome, or the feeling of watching the sky come alive every evening. That's something you have to experience in person.