Alia Bhatt’s ‘Poacher’ web-series review: A unique, uncomfortable take on man-animal conflict

Cast: Nimisha Sajayan, Ankith Madhav, Roshan Mathew, and Dibyendu Bhattacharya

Director: Richie Mehta

Language: Hindi

‘No Animals were harmed during the making of the film/series,’ is a disclaimer we often come across while watching content at home or in cinemas. For Amazon Prime Video IN’s latest offering called Poacher, which happens to be an unconventional and uncomfortable take on the man-animal conflict, the disclaimer should been permanently stuck on the screen. Director Richie Mehta takes a giant task of basing his series in the jungles where lawlessness prevails and rules are shattered with violence.

The camerawork zooms on both the hunter and the one being hunted with care and caution, and unquestionably you sympathize with the animals. Dibyendu Bhattacharya is impressively restrained and commands a magnetic aura. There’s a certain sense of eeriness that fills the room of an already atmospheric show about an issue that only made its way on social media.

There’s a lot of blood boiling that happens when we read monstrous cases of animals being hunted and killed by poachers. But the show dares to show the human side of these creatures too. What compels them or turns them on to silence the animals for life? Is it their impoverished livelihoods or just a kick or an adrenaline rush to conquer the mute? There’s chaos and confusion surrounding the jungles and the world outside as the cases rise and pressures are high.

Poacher is a rare example where you squirm with discomfort but also glue yourself to the compelling narrative. The conflict can send a chill down your spine, and the scenes have been shot with precision. In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, the creator Richie Mehta said no real animal was hired for the show and the only real creatures you see are some ants. And yet, the fictional beasts fill your heart with emotions when they are eliminated one after another.

The intent alone is sometimes not enough, but Poacher takes the right intent and gives it the right execution. It makes you hide your face and yet see what happens next.

Rating: 3 (out of 5 stars)

Poacher is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video IN

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