Emmy-nominated filmmaker and conservationist Kalyan Varma’s latest documentary, Wild Tamil Nadu, takes us on a stunning journey across the state — from lush rainforests and colourful coral reefs to dry, rugged landscapes and fertile farmlands. But what makes the film particularly interesting is the idea behind it. Kalyan looks at Tamil Nadu through a lens that goes back more than 2,000 years, drawing inspiration from the Sangam literature, Tolkāppiyam, and its five classical landscapes, or thinai. Kurinji, Mullai, Marutham, Palai and Neithal weren't simply ways of describing the land. Each landscape was associated with a particular mood, way of life and human emotion — especially the many shades of love, longing and separation. Here's a closer look.
The mist-covered mountains, waterfalls, wild flowers and secluded paths of Kurinji form the landscape of secret love and union. Far from the watchful eyes of society, the mountains become a private world where lovers can meet, desire and be together. The height and wildness of the landscape mirror the intensity of new love — its excitement, intimacy and sense of escape. Kurinji is where love feels young, secret and exhilarating.
In Sangam literature, Mullai captures perhaps the most recognisable experience of waiting for someone to return. Its quiet forests and pastoral landscapes embody this state of mind. The unhurried pace of cattle grazing, dusk settling over the forest and life unfolding at its own rhythm, mirror patience, trust and anticipation. Mullai represents a quieter kind of love — one that doesn't demand immediate answers but believes that the person will eventually return.
The lush green agricultural landscape of Marutham, with its rivers, fields, villages and bustling everyday life, represents love within the realities of domestic life. Unlike the secrecy of Kurinji, this is love lived in the open — and therefore, with complications. Arguments, jealousy, misunderstandings, infidelity and emotional confrontation enter the picture. Marutham reminds us that relationships aren't always romantic; they can be messy, intimate and deeply human.
The Neithal landscape belongs to the coast — the sea, sandy shores, fishing villages, boats and the vast horizon stretching beyond sight. Boats leave, lovers wait, and the sea offers no certainty about when someone will return. This makes the sea a natural metaphor for longing and emotional uncertainty. The restless movement of the waves mirrors a mind that cannot settle, while the endless horizon represents the distance between two people. There is always the possibility of reunion, but no guarantee of when it will happen. Here, nature doesn't simply surround the person who is waiting — it seems to share their restlessness.
Palai is the landscape of heat, dryness and difficult journeys, representing the emotional terrain of separation and hardship. Unlike the other thinai, Palai is not necessarily a permanent desert; it could emerge when other landscapes were transformed by intense heat and drought. Love here is tested by distance, danger and circumstance, often through a long and difficult journey. The scorching heat, lack of water and uncertainty of the road mirror the fear, loneliness and anxiety of being apart. Its harshness reflects how the world itself can feel hostile when someone you love is no longer there.
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