Sector 36, movie review: Vikrant Massey, Deepak Dobriyal make a blockbuster entry in this thriller
Sector 36, Although it is masterfully shot, this Netflix criminal thriller based on true events is unclear, brutal, and exploitative at the same time, leaving no room for confidence.
Ankush Pandey
Sector 36: Watching Hindi films this week is a depressing idea. The films' individual qualities may differ, but their themes are always depressing. The Buckingham Murders, which is based on the disappearance of a little kid in a UK town, is currently showing in theatres. Nearer to his residence, Vikrant Massey plays the psychotic butcher Prem in Sector 36. Berlin is your only hope beyond these two titles and the daily barrage of terrifying news—it's a gloomy, cramped spy thriller set in the 1990s. There aren't many explosions or car chases in Atul Sabharwal's picture, but at least there aren't any scenes where youngsters are brutally murdered.
Sector 36, written by Bodhayan Roychaudhury and directed by Aditya Nimbalkar, is loosely based on the 2006 Noida serial killings, popularly referred to as the Nithari killings, but this is not stated explicitly. At the time, the case was highly sensationalised and swirled around allegations of necrophilia, cannibalism, and organ trafficking. The affluent businessman and his domestic helper were accused of rape and murder and sent on death row; however, in 2023, the Allahabad High Court cleared them, blaming the investigating authorities for a poor investigation and claiming a dearth of solid evidence.
Perhaps the controversial nature of the story compelled Netflix to fictionalise it. A number of children and young women are going missing from Rajiv Colony, a huge, densely populated slum of migrants in Delhi. Since the victims come from poor backgrounds, the police are accustomed to turn a blind eye, including Ram Charan Pandey (Deepak Dobriyal), a Newton-worshipping sub-inspector who bows to the “system”. However, when his own daughter, Vedu, is almost kidnapped by Prem (in a Raavan mask), Ram springs into action. His change of heart seems sudden and convenient – though, it perhaps underlines the Indian attitude of taking charge when disaster looms close.
Sector 36
Director: Aditya Nimbalkar
Cast: Deepak Dobriyal, Darshan Jairwala, Vikrant Massey, Ipshita Chkraborty Singh, Akash Khurana
Run-time: 124 minutes
Storyline: An eccentric sub-inspector overcomes his initial indifference to catch a serial killer
Sector 36 provides no compelling explanation for the killings and is at once violent, ambiguous, and predatory. It appears like the creators analysed every thread of an exceedingly hazy inquiry before deciding to leave all options open. Their response to urban inequality and the suffering of impoverished children is just a shrug and a "nobody cares" statement. Unfortunately, this is a very vague crime thriller. Scenes where Prem is by himself in a big house are a collection of clichés associated with serial killers. Bassi, played by Akash Khurana, is his sleazy employer. He's a twisted transport baron who walks around in housecoats with monograms. The jabs at Delhi's corrupt police system are much weaker: a character makes fun of the fact that IPS now stands for "In Politician's Service."
The film Pataal Lok (2021) has a sleek, dark aesthetic and visuals heavily inspired by mythology, which can be attributed to Saurabh Goswami's co-cinematography work. Old tape players emit the song "Man Kyun Behka," which is a more pleasing sound selection than the background score's plinks and plonks. It's hard to imagine the mid-2000s: A glimpse of a Nokia 6600, which most Indians considered to be the iPhone's predecessor, is shown in the same frame as the country is enthralled with a Kaun Banega Crorepati version.
Massey's act has moments of campiness as he baits and taunts his opponent by peering through the grills of a massive gate, but Nimbalkar's overly earnest narration lessens these moments. Prem records his confession in front of Ram in a crucial sequence, going into unnecessary detail, but the exchange lacks the unnerving evil of Nawazuddin Siddiqui playing with Vicky Kaushal in Raman Raghav 2.0. Sector 36 is an event in the one sense—and the only sense—that a dull Deepak Dobriyal concert is rare. There are many fake notes and some actual criminality in it.
Sector 36 is currently streaming on Netflix
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