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Poacher review: The Tense and Tight Investigation Drama On Tusks Keeps You Riveted
What: The eight-part series features a talented and diverse ensemble cast comprising Nimisha Sajayan, Kani Kusruti, Roshan Mathew, and Dibyendu Bhattacharya in pivotal roles. Emmy-award winning filmmaker Richie Mehta of Delhi Crimes fame has created, written, and directed Poacher. Actor, Producer and Entrepreneur, Alia Bhatt has turned as the Executive Producer of the series.
Poacher synopsis
Poacher - Mallayattur, Kerala. A group of Indian Forest Service officers, NGO workers, police constables and Good Samaritans risk their lives trying to track down the biggest elephant ivory poachers in the history of India and bring them to justice.
Poacher unfolds as a grim and compelling investigative crime drama which unearths the largest ivory poaching cartel in Indian history. Six thousand elephants are already killed. A boat-sailer, Araku confesses his involvement in the killing of 18 sub-adult elephants, triggering an investigation procedural. The suspects are big and dangerous players – Raaz, Morris Fill, Poyya and Ravi Don, who not only trade ivory but also engage in heroin and other drugs, and even fund international terrorism. A task force is created to unscramble the mess – headed by Neel Banerjee (Dibyendu Bhattachrya), Mala(Nimisha), Alan(Roshan) and Kani Kasruti.
Based on court documents and testimonials, Poacher boasts of fictional dramatization of events that transpired in the dense forests of Kerala and the concrete corridors of Delhi. Relying on the widely and enormously researched material by Richie, the series showcases the unrelenting efforts and immense contributions made by the Indian forest service officers, NGO Workers from the Wildlife Trust of India, police constables and good Samaritans who risked their lives to investigate the complex case. To uphold the story’s authenticity, Poacher has been filmed in the real forests of Kerala and New Delhi where the people speak Malayalam, Hindi and English, essentially making it a trilingual film.
Richie employs some great scenic shots in the film to make it look more realistic and the dim atmospherics, reminiscent of Delhi Crimes, adds to the moody narrative. Constant shots of animals and other living creatures like fox, owl , frog and deer act as metaphors, suggestive of what lies ahead. The pursuit to catch the smugglers is elaborately designed with an ominous background score keeping the viewer engrossed in this criminal vs passionate protector’s tale.
In Ritchie’s films, the protagonists are always under perennial mental turmoil. Like Vartika of Dehi Crimes, Mala is imbued with grit and inner demons by the terrific Nimisha Sajayan. She is consistently tense and weary, fighting the battle with an unwavering spirit. I noticed she smiles a little in the sixth episode! Her boss, the Forest Officer of the Kerala Forest Department, Neel Banerjee played wonderfully by Dibyendu Bhattacharya is both mellowed and morose. In one scene, the terminally ill person pensively says, his wife doesn’t care for him anymore. It requires heavy intuitive prowess for an actor to demonstrate emotional anguish and pain. Roshan Mathew as the techie guy Alan Jospeh compliments Nimisha and Dibyendu in every frame and plays the dutiful officer with unmatchable earnestness.
Poacher – final words
The USP of this series lies in its achingly authentic depiction and the panache as it which approaches the deep-rooted problem. I go with 4.5 stars out of 5 for Poacher. The eight-episode series, produced by QC Entertainment is streaming on Amazon Prime Video from 23rd February 2024.
Ahwaan Padhee, is an IT Techie/Business Consultant by profession and a film critic/cinephile by passion, is also associated with Radio Playback as well, loves writing and conducting movie quizzes. More By Ahwaan Padhee