An investigative crime series based on true events, Amazon Prime’s original series, Poacher, unearths the largest ivory poaching ring in Indian history. A first-of-its-kind project, Poacher brings the world of environmental conservation and entertainment together to highlight a critical global concern – illegal poaching.
Today, Prime Video today announced that actor, producer and entrepreneur, Alia Bhatt has come onboard as Executive Producer for Poacher. Alia is known as a champion of nature and has actively lent her voice towards conservation and sustainability. Her association with Poacher as an Executive Producer with her production company Eternal Sunshine Productions, underscores her belief in the story and her commitment to bring important and relevant stories alive and be a voice for the voiceless.
Based on court documents and testimonials, Poacher is a fictional dramatization of events that transpired in the dense forests of Kerala and the concrete jungle of Delhi. The series showcases the immense contributions made by Indian forest service officers, NGO workers from the Wildlife Trust of India, police constables, and good samaritans who risked their lives to investigate the largest ivory poaching ring in Indian history. To uphold the story’s authenticity, Poacher has been filmed in the real-life settings in Kerala and New Delhi.
Emmy-award winning filmmaker Richie Mehta has created, written, and directed the series, which boasts of a diverse and talented cast comprising Nimisha Sajayan, Roshan Mathew, and Dibyendu Bhattacharya in pivotal roles. Poacher which unfolds primarily in Malayalam, Hindi and English, is set to premiere exclusively on Prime Video on February 23 in multiple languages. The crime series is the latest addition to the Prime membership.
Talking about coming onboard as the Executive Producer for Poacher, Alia Bhatt shared, “Being part of this incredibly significant project is an honor, for both me and the entire team at Eternal Sunshine Productions. The impact of Poacher was deeply personal, and Richie’s portrayal of the urgent issue of wildlife crime resonated strongly with me and the team. The storytelling genuinely moved me, especially knowing it’s based on true events, that sheds light on brutal crimes occurring in our forests. I am confident that Poacher will serve as an eye-opener, delivering a powerful message to be more compassionate and considerate towards all living beings. It’s a call to embrace coexistence and I am genuinely thrilled to be collaborating with Richie, QC and Prime Video and to contribute to this narrative.”
“Alia coming on board Poacher is truly a dream come true. In addition to being a world class actress she has proven to be a selfless philanthropist channeling her well respected and earned celebrity status for championing positive causes. Her involvement in this series helps raise awareness for the important issues addressed in the show. The most important of which is, we are all one interconnected humanity and planet. It’s crucial that we treat it with the respect and consideration it deserves,” said QC principals Hamm, Mansfield & McKittrick.
“We want to bring unique and authentic stories that have the power to initiate social and cultural conversations. Poacher, which is based on an extraordinary true story, is one such ambitious endeavor to explore the meaning of justice, in a context never seen before on screen,” said Manish Menghani, director, content licensing, Prime Video India. “We are thrilled to present this investigative crime series—which has been deeply researched, powerfully conceptualized and masterfully directed by Richie Mehta—on our service. Poacher promises to engage the audiences within India as well as across the world with its fascinating, edge-of-the-seat narrative, and compel us as human beings to introspect how our actions can have an irrevocable impact on the environment. This narrative based on true events, has the power to make viewers aware, and inspire communities to take action.”
Poacher is executive produced by QC Entertainment’s Edward H. Hamm Jr., Raymond Mansfield and Sean McKittrick, in association with Suitable Pictures, Poor Man’s Productions and Eternal Sunshine Productions. Alan McAlex (Suitable Boy) serves as producer for Suitable Pictures. Also from Delhi Crime are Director of Photography Johan Aidt, composer Andrew Lockington and editor Beverley Mills.
Apart from her pursuits in cinema, Alia has passionately helped raise awareness about relevant causes such as environmental sustainability, animal welfare and mitigating human-animal conflict through her platform, Coexist. She also promotes sustainable fashion through her initiative, Mi Wardrobe is Su Wardrobe.
Poacher will be available to stream on Prime Video worldwide, on February 23rd.
