Prime Video's Poacher gets a premiere date 

Prime Video's new original series Poacher is set to premiere on February 23. It is written, and directed by Richie Mehta, best known for helming Delhi Crime, which won the International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series. It is executive produced by Oscar-winning production company QC Entertainment, marking their maiden foray into television.

As per the makers, Poacher is an eight-episode investigative crime series that unearths the largest ivory poaching ring in Indian history. The first three episodes premiered recently at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, where it met with rave reviews from the viewers. It stars Dibyendu Bhattacharya and Malayalam actors Nimisha Sajayan, Roshan Mathew in pivotal roles.

Based on court documents and testimonials, Poacher is a fictional dramatisation 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.

“After putting the last four years into exploring the themes and characters in this complex world of crime fighting, and the extraordinarily high stakes involved, I couldn’t be more thrilled to partner with Prime Video to take Poacher to a worldwide audience,” said creator, director, and writer Richie Mehta. “Working with the team at QC Entertainment has been a dream come true, from a creative, logistical, and emotional standpoint, as was collaborating with our actors, crew, and the real subjects on which this series is inspired by. The team at Prime Video demonstrated from the moment they saw our blood, sweat, and tears on screen not only that they understand what we’ve put into this, but that they have the excitement and commitment to take this to the world.”

“When we saw Delhi Crime, we knew immediately Richie was a filmmaker we wanted to work with. We saw in that show his ability as a storyteller to keep us on the edge of our seats while also dealing intelligently and empathetically with sensitive issues, particularly in light of adapting true stories,” added QC Entertainment’s principals Edward H. Hamm Jr., Raymond Mansfield, and Sean McKittrick. “When he pitched us his idea for Poacher we immediately connected with the story, its intentions and the visceral ambition. It’s everything we look for: A filmmaker with a vision, a story with something to say, and a collaborator who embraces the audience as the reason to make entertainment.”

For Poacher, Richie Mehta has retained his core team of technicians from Delhi Crime, including director of photography Johan Aidt, composer Andrew Lockington and editor Beverley Mills.