Alia Bhatt & Richie Mehta screen Poacher in London, hint at global franchise expansion

Director Richie Mehta with executive producer Alia Bhatt in London for the screening of their Amazon Prime web-series Poacher, starring Nimisha Sajayan, Roshan Matthew and Dibyendu Bhattacharya.

Richie Mehta’s web-series Poacher premiered in London recently. Alia Bhatt, who is the executive producer, was the scene stealer in a resplendent black and gold bordered sari. The series produced by QC Entertainment is about a group of Indian Forest Service officers, NGO workers, police constables, and Good Samaritans who risk their lives in tracking down the biggest elephant ivory poachers in the history of India.

The team was in London on Saturday for the UK premiere showing of the first two episodes of the series, which showed at Sundance 2023. Based on true events, Amazon original Poacher unearths the largest ivory poaching ring in Indian history. The series features a talented and diverse ensemble cast including Nimisha Sajayan, Roshan Mathew and Dibyendu Bhattacharya. Emmy award winner Richie Mehta who previously created the stunning Delhi Crime series is back with a riveting thriller that takes you to the darkest alleys of an illegal trade in the country.

The trailer offers a glimpse into a crime that not only threatens elephants leading to them becoming extinct but will have larger consequences on the ecosystem. It can cause many far-reaching implications for locals as well as their livelihood. Inspired by real-life incidents it throws light on the aftermaths of human cruelty on these hapless animals for their gains. It tells us how crucial it is to preserve our natural habitat.

The Amazon original is produced by QC Entertainment, and it is executive produced by Bollywood star Alia Bhatt via her Eternal Sunshine Productions outfit.

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“Richie and I met in 2020 when I was pregnant. We spoke about everything under the sun. In that meeting, he took me to the world of poachers. Firstly, I was flabbergasted that it was based on real-life incidents. He was gracious enough to share the first two episodes and then the whole show. Forget executive producer, I think I responded as just a person. It was a total binge-watch for me. You can’t take your eyes off the screen. Nimisha and Roshan are outstanding. The whole cast holds the story together. Richie told the story beautifully and it moved me. So, that’s how I came on board. I want to be part of a project that moves you, stirs some sort of a conversation,” said Alia at the trailer launch.

Mehta told the American magazine Variety that Poacher is “a global phenomenon. And I knew when I was researching this, every single person I was dealing with had ties to different countries. And they were doing wildlife crime operations, multinationally and so that already for me was like, ‘Oh my God, this story is particularly residing in India, but where this can go can be anywhere and everywhere.'”

Nimisha Sajayan who is making waves in Malayalam and Tamil cinema headlines the narrative as Mala Jogi, a sincere forest official battling with a turbulent past. Roshan Mathew plays Alan Joseph who assists her in the mission. They are backed by a host of superbly etched characters that keep us invested in the narrative.

The series is all set to stream on the OTT platform Amazon Prime Video from February 23 in English, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Tamil.