Delhi Rooftop Forest Lands 23-Year-Old LA Documentary Deal

When Aman Sharma couldn't visit forests during the COVID-19 lockdown, he decided to bring nature to him. Four years later, his Delhi rooftop has traveled all the way to Hollywood.

At just 23 years old, Aman has turned his family's unused terrace into a flourishing ecosystem. The space now hosts over 500 native plants and attracts more than 200 bird species and 25 butterfly varieties, including sunbirds, kingfishers, and parakeets.

His love for birds started in childhood, watching them from his balcony before school each morning. When he spotted a bulbul building its nest nearby, his curiosity deepened into passion.

That interest evolved into bird photography and wildlife documentation. Aman built Birds of India, an online platform that now reaches nearly 900,000 followers who follow Delhi's lesser-known wildlife.

During lockdown, staring at his empty rooftop, Aman had a simple thought: "If I can't go to the birds, I'll make the birds come to me." With his grandmother's guidance, he started planting native trees, flowering plants, and fruit-bearing species that could provide food and shelter.

The journey wasn't smooth. Plants died, experiments failed, but Aman kept adapting and learning.

When The Better India featured his urban forest on social media, thousands of people shared his story. Among them was a filmmaker in Los Angeles who saw something special in what Aman had created in the heart of one of India's most crowded cities.

The filmmaker reached out with an unexpected opportunity: to feature Aman's work in an upcoming documentary. For a project that began on a family terrace, the invitation represents a chance to inspire audiences far beyond India.

The Ripple Effect

Aman's story shows how individual action in limited urban spaces can create real change for local biodiversity. His rooftop proves that supporting native plants, birds, and butterflies doesn't require acres of land or huge budgets.

The documentary opportunity also highlights a bigger truth: stories of positive environmental action resonate globally. What started as one person's lockdown experiment has become a blueprint others can follow in their own urban spaces.

From a childhood fascination with birds to a thriving ecosystem that caught Hollywood's attention, Aman's journey reminds us that transformation can start small, even on a single rooftop.