Alia Bhatt-backed ‘Poacher’ to be expanded into a global series?

A still from ‘Poacher’

Amazon Prime Video’s India-set series Poacher could be expanded into a global franchise given its universal subject matter, Variety reported.

Set to premiere on the platform on February 23, Poacher is a fictional series inspired by real events. Starring Nimisha Sajayan, Roshan Mathew and Dibyendu Bhattacharya, the eight-episode drama looks at an ivory poaching racket in the forests of Kerala. The show is directed by Richie Mehta and has been executive produced by Alia Bhatt.

A second season of the Poacher, also set in India, is currently being developed. Meanwhile, when asked byVariety about a possible global expansion, the makers responded in the affirmative.

“My short answer to that is, this is obvious,” director Mehta was quoted as saying by Variety. “It’s a global phenomenon. And I knew when I was researching this, every single person I was dealing with had ties to different countries. And they were doing wildlife crime operations, multinationally and so that already for me was like, ‘Oh my God, this story is particularly residing in India, but where this can go can be anywhere and everywhere’.”

Mehta along with Bhatt recently attended the London premiere of Poacher. The Canadian filmmaker is known for Delhi Crime (2019) and the documentary India in a Day.