Jumbo resolve to take on poachers

Nonika Singh

“Man is the most dangerous animal in the jungle.” Clearly, catching the hunters/poachers can be perilous. Kartiki Gonsalves’ Oscar winning documentary ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ established the deep bond between humans and the magnificent animal. Acclaimed director-creator Richie Mehta’s eight-episode web series ‘Poacher’ takes us into a different, dark world of forests. We are reminded of the truth of how man kills to appease his greed, while an animal hunts for survival. The beauty of Richie’s depiction of crime is that despite the dark shades, the ultimate goal is salutation to the human spirit. Thus, while crime rules, the zeal of those wanting to save elephants and the ecosystem is one that sets the tone.

If his International Emmy Award winner ‘Delhi Crime’ was a police procedural, ‘Poacher’, too, is an investigative drama. How a few well-meaning officers with a conscience and a heart that beats for the wildlife decide to take on poachers and those involved in ivory smuggling forms the crux. On this real-life incident of busting of an ivory ring is built a crime drama that grips, informs and shocks in equal measure. Like ‘Delhi Crime’, once again, a woman is at the heart of the investigation.

If Shefali Shah’s DCP Vartika Chaturvedi is an unforgettable performance, Nimisha Sajayan’s Mala Jogi, too, will go down as one of the most powerful portrayals of women officers. Only, she happens to be a forest range officer whose crusade against elephant poachers borders on a mission which will brook no obstacles. The fact that her father, too, was a poacher pushes her, in a way, to atone for his sins. That she is an animal lover is evident from the brood of dogs at her modest home. And she struggles to understand and forgive why people would kill, even for a living, let alone for avarice.

When a series centres on wildlife, cinematography has to be excellent. In the hands of Johan Heurlin Aidt, there are some stunning visuals, the cameras panning over the deep, thick forests of Kerala. Like all good camerawork, the visuals never overtake storytelling.

As is Richie’s style, the series is a slow burn. It takes a while before its principal characters are introduced. Neel leads the mission. Every character has some kind of a back story and Richie goes out to establish that these fearless men and women are otherwise normal family people.

Full marks to Nimisha Sajayan for etching out Mala with so much conviction that even her belligerence doesn’t seem off the mark. Roshan Mathew as Alan, a snake expert-cum-computer programmer, is brilliant as he navigates between being a father and husband and a committed environmental crusader. Dibyendu Bhattacharya as Neel is solid like he always is. Could the writer-director Richie have avoided certain pitfalls like showing Neel coughing blood? Perhaps. Whether this fact too is culled from real life from which the series is inspired, it can’t be said for sure. But yes, at times, the sickness angle does seem like a trope. So does the drama around apprehending the wheeler-dealer and ensuing a fracas replete with missing flights. But for these minor aberrations, authenticity remains the hallmark of the series.

There is also no compromise on the language. Actors alternatively speak in Malayalam, Hindi and English in accordance with the milieu they inhabit. Atmospherics bristle with realism and tension. The scene that intercuts the killing of the elephant with the team visiting the same spot is edited so seamlessly that you can only applaud the masterful execution. Both scenes let you into the horror of how killing elephants for its ivory is an outright abhorrent exercise. The fact that this happens in a country which worships an elephant god is not lost on the viewer. The irony is rubbed in more when we see idols of Lord Ganesha made in ivory.

A word of appreciation for Alia Bhatt, the producer, for putting her starry might behind a meaningful project. It’s a must watch.