People who have come after watching Vikrant Massey’s sweet-simple character in ’12th Fail’ will have to muster up the courage to face the shock before starting ‘Sector 36’. You will be stunned to see Vikrant’s character and his work in this new Netflix film. The shock that you get as a viewer is reflected in the other actor of ‘Sector 36’, Deepak Dobriyal.
Ram Charan Pandey’s character Deepak is one of the most real representations of a cop on screen. ‘Sector 36’ is based on a real incident and tells a story that unravels the layers of human behaviour and psychology. However, it has its own shortcomings too.
Two worlds divided by a drain
The whole story of ‘Sector 36’ begins to unfold after a burnt hand is recovered from a drain. Before that, the film builds the environment for its story and characters. Inspector Pandey (Deepak Dobriyal), who arrives at the spot, along with his two juniors decide that this is a monkey’s hand and the first child who sees this hand is given a reward of Rs. 100 for his alertness and leaves.
The child is from a slum, which is next to the drain. Across the drain is the mansion of businessman Balbir Singh Bassi (Akash Khurana). Bassi himself rarely stays in this mansion and in his absence his servant Prem (Vikrant Massey) has settled there as if it is ‘his home’.
So many children are missing from the slum that the police station board is filled with ‘missing’ posters. But Pandey has adopted the philosophy of staying away from the ‘pretense of courage’ because he believes that ‘no matter how much body-shoddy a cockroach makes, the shoe always wins.’ But after an incident with his daughter, Pandey’s courage awakens.
Pandey says in the beginning of the film that his father thought Newton’s ‘action-reaction’ theory was amazing. And as soon as Pandey comes into action, reactions start coming from Bassi’s old friends in the police department and the ‘system’. But somehow avoiding these reactions, Pandey takes his investigation forward and then such a story of violence comes out from inside Prem that you will refuse to believe him to be a human being. Now the question is, will Pandey sahab be able to get justice for the missing children? Or will he be crushed under the system’s boots?
The way the characters in ‘Sector 36’ have been shown in two layers keeps your mind confused. Prem’s crime makes him a monster, but for his wife and daughter, he is as soft as any normal person. Pandey is honest at heart but has ‘adjusted’ to survive in the system.
Most of the missing children are girls, the whole story is revealed through the case of a girl. But Pandey, who was initially not interested in the case, Prem, the villain of the story, the new police DCP and Bassi…all have girls in their homes.
The film stirs emotions but breaks logic
This film delivers such a feeling of shock that after it ends you remain in silence for a while. However, ‘Sector 36’ has the kind of problems that a crime thriller film should not have. Two things make crime thriller films interesting – the details of crime and investigation and the rot of social or personal thinking that gives birth to crime. ‘Sector 36’ is very strong in the second part but weak in the first part.
Like most Bollywood content, ‘Sector 36’ misses a lot of opportunities in showing the police investigation and the intricacies of the investigation. The plot of the film is based on the 2006 Nithari case with a lot of creative liberty. But the intention to shock the audience prevents the story from going deeper. The screenplay of the film seems to be in a hurry to tell things superficially.
The transfer of the DCP, Prem getting caught, Prem’s confession and many other things happen very conveniently. The atmosphere of ‘Sector 36’ was very well set but the emphasis is more on making it ‘hard hitting’ rather than the natural process of telling the story and letting things unfold on screen. If the screenplay had revealed the plot of the film in a little more detail, with suspense, then the matter would have automatically become more hard hitting than it is now.
color accumulated through acting
Despite its shortcomings, if it is difficult to take your eyes off ‘Sector 36’, then the biggest reason for this is the work of the actors. Vikrant Massey in the role of a psychopathic serial killer has a crazy energy, which can make you feel uneasy just by watching him.
We are used to seeing bloodshed shown on screen in creative ways. But here Vikrant has created a horror through the behaviour of his character, his actions and expressions. He looks as simple as any other man you meet on the road. But his mind is more terrifying than the image of a ‘monster’ that you have in your mind. This will be counted among Vikrant’s best performances.
The economy of expressions with which Deepak Dobriyal has played the role of a cop is a class for those who are learning acting. Deepak is like every real policeman you meet in routine life. The way he sits speechless in Vikrant’s interrogation scene is amazing. His eyes have the expression of the viewer who is watching the film on screen. You will be able to understand better only after watching this moment. Senior actors like Akash Khurana and Darshan Jariwala have also given weight to the film with their work.
Overall, ‘Sector 36’ is definitely a film worth watching. Vikrant and Deepak’s brilliant work keeps your attention. The appeal of the film outweighs its shortcomings and it stays in your mind for some time even after it ends.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)