Sector 36
Introduction
The opening act of the new Hindi film Sector 36 will go down at the most bone-chilling sequence that I may have witnessed all year. You are instantly introduced to the protagonist (or should we call him the antagonist?) sitting on his couch and watching a rehashed version of Kaun Banega Crorepati. From the conversations that he has on the phone, it is clear that he only works in the house as opposed to the impression that you may get otherwise from his attire. The camera is content with just following him as he tactfully makes his way to the veranda and into a dark space that seemed to be a room. And the moment you see him turn on the light, you are witness to a girl lying dead in front of him even as the camera stalls at a distance. And when the camera chooses to move in a more intimate space, the only sound that you hear is of chopping and slicing as the blood (and pounds of it) flows to the sink. The film Sector 36 based on the gruesome Nithari killings could not have opened on a more horrific and psychological note, something that had me shaken up to bits (and trust me my threshold is quite high).
Story & Screenplay
Loosely based on the Nithari killings, an incident that had shook the nation in 2006, Sector 36 doesn’t provide a documentary feel to the drama, instead focusing on the shock factors while working on the atmospherics. And while the story is shocking and meaty (no puns intended), one thing that instantly caught my attention was the characterization here, primarily of two individuals at different ends of the spectrum. So you had Prem Singh (Vikrant Massey) abused in his childhood only to indulge in s*xual violence even while developing an affinity for human meat. On the other hand, you have Inspector Ramcharan (notice the ‘Ram’ in his name that signifies him to be a good guy) who begins as an alter ego of himself weirdly enough while resorting to corruption, only for realisation to kick in. But to some extent, Prem was an honest man (and don’t get me wrong, he was a bad bad person but in his head honest to his ‘chores’) who invariably was the polar opposite of Ramcharan who was dishonest with his duty while almost dismissing a person who had come to file an FIR for a missing child case. These little tit-bits are crucial from the character arc point of view that makes for an intriguing watch over the screenplay standing at a shade above 2 hours.
The initial world building is enough to give you chills while having an uncanny ability to suck you into the drama even as the worlds of the two characters are about to collide. Yet, the writers also introduce a seamingly undercurrent of the plight of the police officers, with respect to their work to begin with coupled with the challenges that they face with respect to the prevalent hierarchies of power within the department. The first of the issues is wonderfully resolved in a brilliantly staged scene against the backdrop of Ram Leela. In that staging, you have Ramcharan playing Raavan (a symbolism of the corruption that he is resorting to) even while nonchalantly dismissing a plea to file an FIR in the wake of a child that is missing. And much contrary to his action, he does get a small reality check in the form of his own daughter being kidnapped (almost) against the backdrop of the statue Raavan being burnt, thus signifying his character transformation.
The proceedings are engaging and intriguing even as the protagonist Ram is shown to develop a keen interest in the case, even as the politics of the department begins to kick in. And even as the cat and mouse chase ensues (this is more from the obstacles brought by external factors in the case), the subtle commentary on the rich versus the poor, and their individual statures in the drama, is a huge contributing factor in the screenplay. The interrogation scene wherein an unperturbed Prem confesses to his crimes will make you squirm in your seat, while infuriating you to no bounds. I for one almost felt like punching the hell out of Prem given that he had no regrets at all. And just when I thought that the drama was going to end on a high, the final act set in.
Honestly, the final act here was a perfect example of being overwritten to a point wherein the writers did get a touch overindulgent. This is not to say that the events were bad but my gripe was that the focal point of the case began to shift. And it had to also do with the staging, the shift of which was a little abrupt while sucking out a little of the tension in the drama that was builtup. And while the ‘shocking’ events were on predictable lines (and equally infuriating may I add), the knockout punch was missing. This made me think that you did not necessarily need that ‘twist’ in the tale because the story itself was pretty powerful. A little montage of how things would have ended may have been enough here. But taking nothing away from the screenplay that was still a commendable effort and made for a rather chilling watch.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are pretty infuriating if you account for the context in the drama, and the lines are definitely powerful. The music here is gloomy while perfectly complimenting the narrative style here. The BGM was more prominent from a sound effects point of view wherein the chopping and slicing sounds made for a far more disturbing impact at the psychological level. The cinematography coupled with the gloomy lighting does create an intriguing ambience of fear in a drama which is in no mood to provide any respite. And while the frames pan away mostly during the slaughter sequences, I still felt that the impact of the surroundings (like the blood flowing in the drain or a corpse recovered from a ditch) had a horrific impact while painting a haunting picture of reality. The editing is crisp and sharp while seldom letting go of the levels of tension that are builtup. Director Aditya Nimbalkar makes an impressive debut here while scoring heavily with the haunting atmospherics and brilliant characterization. And while he minutely stumbles in the final act, he does enough and more to hold your attention in the events prior to that, that gave me an impression that he was always in control of the proceedings. The direction is splendid here with a lot of flair to boast of.
Performances
The performances are superb by the members of the cast. Trimala Adhikari as Jyoti, Ipshita Chakraborty as Sangeeta and Tanushree Das as Chumki have their moments to each and all of them are quite brilliant despite each of them having a limited screen time. Baharul Islam as Saikia is sincere and earnest. Kacho Ahmed as the compounder is pretty impressive as well. Mahadev Lakhawat as Bishnoi and Ajeet Palawat as Pathak are quietly layered characters and both of them are outstanding while being natural to the core. The veterans Darshan Zariwala as DYSP Rastogi and Akash Khurana as Bassi will leave you infuriated at different junctures of the screenplay, and that is symbolic of the phenomenal acting prowess that both showcase.
Deepak Dobriyal as Inspector Ramcharan (notice the name once again) is brilliant to the core in a character that had a wonderful character arc. He delivers a well measured performance that is subdued while withholding much of the pain and insecurities that are byproducts of his occupation. And his commanding screen presence is for all to study and savour. Vikrant Massey as Prem (oh notice the name, what an irony) delivers a haunting act that I just cannot fathom in words. He was unflinching in a character that was deeply disturbing and he delivers a rather ruthless act without having an arc of redemption. He was brilliant in every sense of the word wherein he will leave you with a feeling of anger particularly in that interrogation scene.
Conclusion
Despite a minor stumble in the final act, Sector 36 is a deeply disturbing and a bone-chilling drama with solid performances that is a difficult watch in many ways but well worth your time. Available on Netflix.
