Sector 36: Fictional take on Nithari killings
Director Aditya Nimbalkar’s debut Hindi crime thriller Sector 36 on Netflix is loosely based on the 2006 horrific killings in Nithari (an urban village in Noida, Uttar Pradesh) for which Mohinder Singh Pandher and his domestic employee Surinder Koli were accused of abduction, rape, murder, and cannibalism.
Sector 36 showcases a scary, end-of-your-seat, fictional account of the blood-curdling Nithari killings and the culture of corruption that leaves no room for justice. The movie skillfully depicts the nexus of criminals for mutual monetary gains, and the reality of class, economic disparities, and systemic corruption.
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Depressing is an understatement
Sector 36’s Surinder Koli, named Prem Singh in the film (played by Vikrant Massey), is not just a cold-blooded murderer but also a victim of incest as a child and later as a grown family man living apart from his family. Working as a household help, he is keenly aware of his economically underprivileged position and that of his victims in the echelons of class and privilege in India. Undercurrents of religion also run through the narrative. Prem’s employer Balbir Singh Bassi (played by Akash Khurana) is alluded to as a pedophile, who succeeds in delaying police action using his powerful connections. It’s an understatement to say that the movie is depressing. The murder of the police inspector by hired goons at the end leaves one feeling hopeless.
Bone-chilling, believable storytelling
The film tells the story of missing children of poor migrant workers; the police’s apathy in not recording the complaint of a crying, grieving father of a missing girl, Chumki Ghosh (played by Tanushree Das), is shown as endemic of an indifferent system.
The change of heart of the cop (Deepak Dobriyal as Ram Charan Pandey) leading to the registration of a formal complaint, followed by police interrogation and the arrest of Prem Singh from his employer’s residence, are realistic and believable. The inspector does not have a sudden moral awakening; his change of heart is a result of an incident that touches him personally and is too close for comfort or complacency.
Director Nimbalkar does not shy away from depicting the brutality of the crimes. The vicious kidnapping, killing, chopping, consuming and selling of organs are blood curdling. The scene where body parts were recovered from a drain near the house of the accused made me nauseous.
The Ramlila scene, in which the cop Ram Charan Pandey (Dobriyal), in full Ravana costume, chases Prem Singh (Massey) after a failed abduction attempt, is a directorial triumph.
Massey, Dobriyal bring it home
Massey’s evolution from the sweet and studious small-town boy of 12th Fail to a serial killer in Sector 36, and Deepak Dobriyal’s transformation from the loquacious Pappi Tiwari of the Tanu weds Manu movies to a practical cop, are a pleasure to watch.
Dobriyal’s restraint and matter-of-factness in the confession scene is a masterclass. Massey’s portrayal of a cold-hearted, fearless, unrepentant killer obsessed with a gameshow, secure in his employer’s influence, is chilling.
The film is an intense cinematic experience that excels in cinematography, style, acting, and direction. However, it’s not for the faint-hearted. Be ready to be disturbed and distraught.