Whenever Netflix touches true-crime stories, be it in the form of fiction or documentary, the results are generally more sensationalistic than informative. We rarely come out feeling sorry for the victims. Rather, we go through the Wikipedia page and news articles like a gossiper satiating his nosy curiosity. Every detail is dispensed to create shock, not an atmosphere of tragedy. Aditya Nimbalkar's Sector 36, based on the 2006 Noida serial murders (Nithari Killings), had its world premiere at the 15th Indian Film Festival of Melbourne and will be released on 13 September 2024 on Netflix. After watching Sector 36, you understand why this crime thriller will be available on this streaming service. It's not so different from those other sensational films and documentaries you can find on Netflix. Nimbalkar and writer Bodhayan Roychaudhury have made one of those cynical movies that dispense WhatsApp forward-level moral lessons: "This world is a cruel place where criminals roam freely." You don't need something as shallow as Sector 36 to tell you this. Just watch the news, open Twitter, or go outside. Of course, movies can be a reflection of our society, but films like Sector 36 use the rot present in our system, our society, to hit us with cheap shocks that merely aim to push our buttons. Since the intentions are incredibly apparent, we don't even feel disgusted by the on-screen events. Instead, we are left disappointed by the superficial tricks of the filmmakers.
Nimbalkar is able to build an ugly mood. From the opening scene itself, the world of Sector 36 seems repulsive, rancid, and rotten. But even this sensation is briefly broken when the title of the film appears on a line of blood flowing down the toilet. I chuckled. The culprits of Nithari Killings, Moninder Singh, and his servant Surinder Koli, were acquitted in 2023 by Allahabad High Court due to a lack of evidence. Sector 36 retains this lack of hope in the justice system by focusing on the privileges of the rich. Money saves them from punishment; money provides them with access to swift justice. No wonder sub-inspector Ram Charan Pandey (Deepak Dobriyal), who is one of the few officers who actually cares for the missing children, and Prem Singh (Vikrant Massey) have so much lust for money. Ram initially is not as good as his name suggests. During Ram Leela, he plays the role of Ravan, which is appropriate and very in-your-face. Sector 36 overly underlines Ram's casual attitude towards grieving parents. We get a shot of him taking money packed inside sweet boxes. Ram is a father, so naturally, when we see him disregarding the pain of another father who begs him to find his daughter, you wonder how this police officer would react if something unpleasant were to happen to his own daughter. A few scenes later, a character converts your thoughts into his words, and some more scenes later, Ram's daughter is picked up by the murderer. Now, how does Nimbalkar show that the Ravan inside this Ram is being destroyed due to this incident? By displaying a burning statue of Ravan. The metaphors scream for your attention. Nimbalkar seems to be more interested in impressing us with his cleverness. This is why he gives you that final shot of a picture. Roychaudhury's screenplay says, "What is in a name?" Hence, Prem does not have a kind heart, and Ram acts like Ravan (for some time).
Sector 36 doesn't trust the audience to make obvious connections. When a kid from a wealthy family is kidnapped, and his case gets a lot of media attention, a police officer remarks that this case will get solved in no time because the parents are rich. And if all the Ram, Ravan, and Ram Leela elements aren't clear enough, don't worry. Listen to this line, "Ram ji ke rajya mein rakshason ki chal rahi hai." One can also mine for subtexts and find connections between our current world and the one we see in Sector 36. Ram doesn't put any effort into catching the killer - he allows the decay to spread. Hence, the stench eventually reaches his own premises. What this means is that if you remain silent at a time when violence against minorities and women is crossing new levels, then you are only nurturing evil, and it's only a matter of time before hate comes knocking at your doorstep. The characters in Sector 36 watch a Kaun Banega Crorepati-type game show where one of the questions is this, "Who wrote Sare Jahan se Accha?" The answer is Muhammad Iqbal. You are free to come up with thoughts regarding the ongoing discrimination towards Muslims. Sector 36 doesn't leave you with optimism. It ends up suggesting that the faces change, but the cycle of corruption continues. There is no guarantee that the good guy will actually defeat the negative forces.
This hellish landscape isn't revolting; it's more of a turn-on. The filmmakers want you to laud them for their competence. Massey immediately catches this wavelength - he acts to impress his fans, his audience. This is the kind of acting that calls attention to itself. Massey gets to make creepy faces, but his character isn't scary enough. What motivates him to give his confession? It can't be all about catching a Kaun Banega Crorepati episode. That's such a lame reason. Then again, look at the backstory of this character. It's utterly generic - a filmmaker's confession that he doesn't have imagination. Every character acts as per the requirement of the plot. They are nothing but puppets. Only Dobriyal and Baharul Islam come out of this clinker unscathed. The former makes his character's awkward shift from bad to good guy convincing, while the latter makes the mood bleak with a mere smile. These two actors are the real "killers" of Sector 36.
Final Score- [3.5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times