Sector 36: When Serial Killers Show Us Our Reality

I had been putting off watching the movie Sector 36 because I had heard it was too gory, being based on the Nithari killings, which came to light in 2006. Serial killer movies and series are a dime a dozen nowadays, but those involving cannibalism and dismembered body parts are something I’d rather avoid. For the same reason, I had skipped Dahmer (2022), the web series based on Jeffrey Dahmer, who killed 17 young men and ate them before being arrested in 1991.

But one fine day, when I was down and out due to the flu currently going around the city, I settled for something dark to watch. That’s when Aditya Nimbalkar’s debut directorial, written by Bodhayan Roychaudhury, came on. Another factor that nudged me in this direction was an FB status update by an ex-senior, who mentioned that, although it was difficult to watch, it was a must-see.

But why watch something that involves such disturbing elements? Because the film reveals the rot in the system that allows such individuals to thrive.

Vikrant Massey is brilliant and must be lauded for taking up such a role after the stupendous success of a family-friendly film like 12th Fail (2023). In fact, before the release of the film, Netflix invited some of us to see snippets from the movie and participate in an interaction between Vikrant and Aditya. During this event, Vikrant mentioned how many people had advised him against taking up such a role. Also, having observed his soft-natured personality during the interaction, his portrayal in the film was a stark contrast. Deepak Dobriyal as Inspector Ram Charan Pandey turned out to be a brilliant choice, and at the end of the film, we are reminded that the poster boy of the killings, Moninder Singh Pandher, is actually out of jail. Surinder Koli, who Vikrant portrays in the film, is still in prison.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Sony Music India (@sonymusicindia)

Fortunately, the movie wasn’t as gory as I had feared it would be. Or perhaps we’ve become so accustomed to violence that it has been normalized in our heads. By the time the credits rolled, I found it not only gripping but also eye-opening in outlining certain harsh realities that nurture such elements in society. The film has broken into Netflix’s Global Top Ten Films list (Non-English) at #3 across 12 countries, including India, Mauritius, Kuwait, Singapore, the UAE, and Qatar.

So what bitter truths does the movie show us ?(yet again)

1. The police force is severely understaffed and underpaid, leaving the door wide open for corruption.

2. In the movie, a constable hasn’t taken leave in six months, even though his mother has cancer. If he does take leave, the consequences would be tremendous. With only three policemen in charge of the entire area, each one is essentially responsible for 50,000 of the 150,000 people that live there.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Netflix India (@netflix_in)

3. Money and power can get you results—and even let you go free. The children targeted belonged to poor migrant families, who no one asks about, while the owner of the house where the killings took place was well-connected to top politicians and eventually got away. Pandher and Koli had been sentenced to death by a special CBI court in 2017 for the rape and murder of a woman whose father’s complaints led to the opening of the case. However, on October 16, 2023, the Allahabad High Court acquitted Koli in 12 cases and Pandher in two cases due to “unsatisfactory” evidence and legal loopholes. While Koli continues to serve his life sentence, Pandher walked free.

4. Dobriyal’s character in the film is murdered for pursuing the case. This is probably a fictional element, but it feels entirely plausible, given how often we see such incidents in cases involving powerful, dangerous people. Maybe it’s high time one of those asteroids finally hit us.

Exclusive! 'My close friend and I are writing something,' reveals Prateik Babbar about a special martial arts project