Filmmaker Richie Mehta on combining entertainment and conservation

How does nature influence your work?

As a child visiting India, I spent too much time in the country’s overpopulated urban centers; it wasn’t until I stepped into the natural world that I realized there are far more wildlife heartbeats than people sharing this land. India’s vast preserves and parks are dense with wildlife. While my passion is art and film, I still wanted to access nature. Filmmaking, for me, has become a way to explore and understand the world that filmgoers might never experience.

How did you come up with the story idea for the series?

In 2015, I was working on a documentary for which people from across India sent me video footage over the course of a single day. One of the videos I received showed an elephant ivory raid in Delhi—the result of a years-long investigation by the Kerala Forest Department and The Wildlife Trust of India into the country’s largest wildlife crime syndicate. The footage was shocking. And the story behind it, the real-life events that inspired Poacher, had crime scenes, kidnappings, and riots. It was unlike anything I’d encountered before. It felt perfect for drama.

Who inspired the show’s characters?

Poacher is based on interviews with the wildlife crime fighters I met—the incredible people who risk their lives to protect animals. It’s the coolest job in the world. Through the series, we see their passion, their dedication, and the daily sacrifices they make for this cause. I became so inspired by their work.

Can a television series help protect wildlife?

Drama holds a unique power to create relatability. All viewers can find a way into stories like this one, which depicts the violence of elephant poaching and its impact on people and forests. After watching the show, people might think, “Why would anyone do that? Why would you rip an elephant to pieces just to own a carved tusk?” The big goal is to create awareness around the complex issues that drive wildlife crime and what it takes to stop it.