Poacher Review: Walking the Line of Justice

Created by acclaimed filmmaker Richie Mehta, known for the hard-hitting Delhi Crime, Poacher offers a fictionalized take on the real-life hunting down of India’s largest ivory poaching ring back in 2015. With Prime Video backing the ambitious 8-episode series as an original, Mehta has assembled an impressive cast led by rising star Nimisha Sajayan as Mala, a dedicated forest ranger hellbent on protecting Kerala’s elephant population from ruthless poachers encroaching on their territory.

Supported on screen by the versatile Roshan Mathew of Kuruthi fame and the always compelling Dibyendu Bhattacharya who stunned in Undekhi, Sajayan holds her own as the complex Mala, whose personal demons fuel her tireless crusade against forces looking to throw the region’s fragile ecosystem dangerously out of whack. From the steamy jungles of Malayatoor to the bustling urban jungle of Delhi, Mehta takes viewers on a tense yet insightful journey examining not just the surface-level crimes but the deeper human failings enabling such destruction in the name of greed and ignorance.

Streaming exclusively now on Amazon’s Prime Video, Poacher may not boast Hollywood-level special effects or action spectacle, but with its rich atmosphere, social commentary, and stellar cast tackling weighty themes in a uniquely Indian setting, Mehta’s latest offers an experience no true fan of hard-hitting, thought-provoking series should miss.

Braving the Wilds to Save the Wild

At its core, Poacher chronicles the real-life takedown of a ruthless ivory trafficking ring endangering Kerala’s elephant population back in 2015. But creator Richie Mehta takes care to frame the case through a fictional lens, honing in on the personal drives and demons facing those fighting on the frontlines to bring the poachers to justice.

We open on a disturbing yet crucial image – the shooting of a helpless elephant, setting the grave stakes at play. Soon after, a guilt-ridden assistant named Aruku shocks local authorities by confessing his involvement with a poacher named Raaz. Aruku’s whistleblowing exposes the expansive reach of the operation, kicking off a risky investigation led by Forest Department ranger Mala Jogi, played by Nimisha Sajayan.

Despite past controversy involving her late father’s own hunting crimes that she seems desperate to atone for, Mala’s passion for preserving Kerala’s habitats makes her the perfect woman for the job. Enlisting a motley crew she can trust including wildlife activist Alan Joseph (Roshan Mathew) and her keen-eyed boss Neel Banerjee (Dibyendu Bhattacharya), Mala races the clock to parse phone records, gather evidence from suspects, and coordinate with various agencies to dismantle the syndicate before the region’s fragile ecosystems suffer permanent damage.

Of course, taking down the influential kingpin Raaz and his rich overseas connections proves more dangerous than Mala ever imagined. Outgunned yet determined, she soon realizes the bloody truth – when man’s insatiable greed clashes with nature’s limits, no one comes out unscathed.

Probing Deeper Meanings

Beyond the surface-level crime thrills, Poacher explores a number of weighty themes still relevant today regarding humanity’s complicated relationship with nature. At its heart lies an age-old conflict – man versus wild. The show depicts humanity’s propensity for greed and our inability to respect the natural world’s limits in stark terms, personified by the ruthless poaching ring who kill elephants without remorse to sell their tusks overseas.

However, Mehta takes care to show the shades of grey through characters like Aruku, who resorts to poaching out of economic desperation rather than malice. Poacher argues that when inequality and corruption infect a society, those already struggling to survive may turn towards unethical means, illegally harvesting protected plants and animals to feed their families or escape poverty. It’s a systemic failure where the most vulnerable pay the steepest price.

We also examine the ethics of law enforcement through Mala’s arc. Her late father’s misdeeds as a hunter push Mala to become almost obsessively devoted to her duty of protecting Kerala’s habitats. Yet through conversations with her disapproving traditional mother, we witness Mala wrestling with whether the ends justify the means when confronting violent criminals on their own term. It’s a timeless tension between civility and justice.

Ultimately, Poacher leaves audiences contemplating our collective responsibility as citizens of this planet to safeguard its gifts for future generations. Because when any piece of Earth’s intricate web of life falters, we all do – no matter how far removed we believe our lives to be from some faraway jungle or its inhabitants. If not out of goodness, then self-preservation demands balance.

Bringing the Characters to Life

Led by a trio of compelling performances, Poacher succeeds at making us invest in its central characters beyond just serving the plot. As Mala Jogi, Nimisha Sajayan displays a fiery conviction that makes it impossible not to root for her success. We understand Mala’s almost obsessive dedication through tragic revelations about her hunter father’s misdeeds that haunt her, along with conversations with her traditional mother judging Mala’s devotion to her duty over expectations of domesticity. Sajayan shines during Mala’s rare vulnerable moments, laying bare the heavy burden she carries.

As Mala’s partner-in-justice Alan Joseph, Roshan Mathew brings a more relaxed energy, balancing Mala’s intensity with endearing warmth. Alan’s talents for unraveling mysteries with data analysis combined with his clear passion for protecting wildlife makes him an invaluable, if unlikely, ally. Mathew has particular highlights opposite Alan’s young son, using their sweet exchanges to remind audiences of the wonder found in nature that makes the mission personal.

Veteran actor Dibyendu Bhattacharya likewise impresses as Mala’s direct boss Neel Banerjee, communicating volumes through silent glances. His haunted past working security cases combined with a grave illness driving his race against time injects Neel with organic gravitas and sympathy. Bhattacharya sells moments revealing Neel’s almost fatherly affection for Mala in few words.

Together, Sajayan, Mathew and Bhattacharya generate an endearing camaraderie and credible professional chemistry devoid of melodrama. Through their eyes, we come to see the elephants not as abstractions but as awe-inspiring, sensitive members of a family worth protecting at all costs.

Capturing the Beauty and Brutality

Helmed by cinematographer Johan Heurlin Aidt, Poacher stands out for artfully using its visual language and atmosphere to immerse viewers within Kerala’s mist-shrouded landscapes both gorgeous and grim. Lush forest vistas juxtapose with haunting shots following a felled elephant’s body slowly decaying back into the soil, vividly expressing nature’s simultaneous serenity and ruthlessness.

Much of Poacher unfolds in shadowy nights or ominous dusks, encapsulating the danger encroaching upon Kerala’s wilds from profit-driven forces lacking respect. Clever uses of available light sources like flashlights, lanterns and Mala’s dashboard suggest her fight to illuminate ugly truths before real damage is done. When confronted by realities of the harrowing poaching trade, we share Mala’s dawning look of disgust through intimate, unflinching close-ups.

Moments spent immersed in the cacophony of jungle soundscapes remind audiences of the interconnected ecosystems at stake, layers upon layers of life reliant on stability human activities threaten to upend. Stray dogs – representing the most innocent victims – appear frequently, tugging heartstrings as their lives mirror the elephants’ uncertainty with habitat destruction.

By the end, Mala stands before misty ruins once home to now rescued elephants, the swirling fog indicating uncertainty still ahead but also purification of past sins. Poacher in the end utilizes potent visual poetry to underline both nature’s endurance yet fragility in the face of mankind’s potential for salvation or destruction.

Keeping Viewers Hooked

Spanning 8 episodes that run 40-60 minutes each, Poacher unfolds at a measured yet compelling pace allowing audiences to fully immerse in both the investigatory details as well as quiet character moments. Creator Richie Mehta takes care not to get bogged down in procedural minutiae, while also avoiding common thriller pitfalls like overly convenient plot contrivances that break suspension of disbelief.

The extended runtime compared to a traditional movie affords more patience in exploring the complex web of poaching operations from both a bottom-up and top-down perspective. Just as Mala and her team parse phone records and connect dots to build their case, so too can viewers organically piece together the full picture without feeling lost. Clever narrative parallels also reinforce central themes, like juxtaposing captive elephants in chains meant for Hindu temple ceremonies against the poached wild elephants dying for their tusks – different modes of exploitation but still imprisonment.

However, a mostly linear structure means early episodes spend more time establishing characters and atmosphere before the central mystery fully hooks attention. The investigation’s successive raids and breakthroughs then provide regular story injections to propel momentum. While later episodes see stakes heightening with threats turned against Mala’s squad, the danger never feels overblown or sensationalized. No character enjoys special plot armor either, maintaining authenticity.

By letting characters and environment shine bright as the show’s backbone rather than relying on cheap twists, Poacher unfolds with an engaging boldness and patience other Indian thrillers should emulate. Mature, uncompromising storytelling means respecting the audience too.

A Call to Action

Through a fictional lens examining the real-world takedown of a dangerous poaching network, Richie Mehta has crafted an impactful viewing experience in Poacher that thrills as much as it educates. Bolstered by Nimisha Sajayan’s standout portrait of a fiercely devoted forest officer and environs oozing atmospheric danger, Mehta mostly dodges common pitfalls of the genre like thin characters and implausible plot contrivances.

Any minor quibbles around pacing or production values pale next to the urgent messages the show amplifies regarding the delicate balance between humankind and nature. Poacher lays bare our collective failure thus far to respect that balance, shining a damning light on the corrosive forces of greed and ignorance tearing ecosystems apart for profit. Yet glimmers of hope emerge in the empathy and responsibility displayed by activists like Mala willing to speak for the voiceless. The question lingers – will we listen, and change course, before it’s too late?

I wholeheartedly recommend fans of socially conscious Indian content give Poacher a watch. Stream with patience to best savor scenes steeped in local flavor and mesmerizing jungle tableaus unlike most urban-centered projects.

Let the shadowy world the production renders so alluringly disturb your peace, so we might bring more light to Mazha’s mission in the real world our complacency makes possible. Because there is no “their” land or animals – only those we all borrowed. Poacher excels at making personal troubles into a shared reckoning.

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