Sector 36 (2024) Review!!

Synopsis – A fictional story Inspired by true events, several children go missing from a basti (slum) in Sector 36. A determined police officer must now face off with a cunning serial killer as a chilling investigation and dark secrets unfold.

My Take – Though Hindi cinema has produced a couple of notable serial killer thrillers over the years, few have managed to go the distance when it comes to blending the horror behind the crimes with a nuanced narrative. With films such as Murder 2 (2011), Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016) and the criminally under-seen Chup: Revenge of the Artist (2022) successfully leaving a lasting mark.

The latest addition to the sub-genre, is this Maddock produced Netflix release which takes inspiration from the 2006 Noida serial murders, famously known as the Nithari killings. A case that squirmed with accusations of organ trafficking, cannibalism and necrophilia.

But while the two accused, a wealthy businessman and his domestic help, were initially put on death row for rape and murder, in 2023, the Allahabad High Court acquitted them, citing a lack of sound evidence and slating the investigating agencies for a shoddy probe.

Directed by debutant Aditya Nimbalkar and written by Bodhayan Roychaudhury, the fictionalized narrative with its dark visual aesthetic aims to present an effective version of the crime spree. Unfortunately, the result is middling at best, mainly as it leans too heavily on shock value and uses a straightforward approach to the central character, rendering the story devoid of any emotional depth.

Sure, Vikrant Massey is chilling in the role as a psychopathic killer named Prem. But the film’s attempts to explore the depths of human depravity ultimately falls short of delivering a truly exceptional experience. Also, the use of graphic imagery and disturbing content may alienate some viewers, making it a challenging watch.

Set in 2006 at Rajiv Colony, a vast, populous slum of migrants in Delhi, the story follows Prem Singh (Vikrant Massey), an insatiable serial killer, who is fascinated with a TV quiz show called “Sab Banenge Crorepati”.

Working as a live-in house-help of Balbir Bassi (Akash Khurana), an affluent businessman from Karnal, who rarely visits his palatial bungalow, Prem takes advantage of his unsupervised existence, far from his own family that lives in a village, and abducts children from the neighboring settlement, mercilessly kills them to satisfy his deviant appetite and earn a keep by selling their organs.

Meanwhile, Ram Charan Pandey (Deepak Dobriyal), a lazy and corrupt sub-inspector chooses to remain unmoved by distraught parents who simply wish to register FIRs about their missing children. Not willing to continue filling up the notice board at the station that is brimming with ‘missing’ posters.

However, a bad judgement call by Prem puts him on a collision course with Pandey, who, after finally having a change of heart, begins working tirelessly to bring the criminal to book. Along the way, he benignly submits to harassment from his superior officer DCP Jawahar Rastogi (Darshan Jariwala), who is only interested in rising up the ranks and also happens to be a close friend of Bassi.

Indeed, the film’s premise is compelling, given its roots in real-life horrors. It is full of darkness, quite literally and metaphorically as well. As it introduces you to the psyche of a serial killer who is not just a murderer but a pedophile and a cannibal. Yet it struggles to balance the sensationalism of its themes with a meaningful exploration of the societal issues it raises. The film’s exploration of the police’s apathy towards marginalized communities is a crucial aspect of the narrative.

However, the theme is never fully realized. It hints at systemic corruption and the neglect of the poor, but fails to provide a thorough analysis of these issues. The investigative work of a reformed policeman out to nab a cold-blooded serial killer should have been the stuff of an edge-of-the-seat thriller. But the film is too straightforward in its approach.

In one pivotal scene, Prem records his confession before Ram, in gratuitous detail, yet the exchange lacks the unsettling wickedness to hit hard. By presenting a rationale for Prem’s killing of children of underprivileged migrants who live in a camp opposite the upmarket colony, the script softens the blow of the fictionalized reenactment of a true crime and prevents the perpetrator from becoming a truly and memorably chilling antagonist character.

Nevertheless, Vikrant Massey does a fantastic job, and gives a very unlikely performance. He works at making his Prem believable, his unctuous smile and creepy banter hiding his real self. Deepak Dobriyal continues to be one of the most underrated actors of Hindi cinema who never manages to leave one disappointed with his act, whichever role is thrown at him.

Darshan Jariwala plays a standard film cop to the tee, while Akash Khurana is believable as the dodgy Bassi. On the whole, ‘Sector 36‘ is a flawed serial killer tale that struggles to unravel its twisted story and eerie characters.