Aditya Nimbalkar's Sector 36, streaming on Netflix, has its title appears over a stream of blood from a dead girl whose body is dismembered by the psychopath Prem (Vikrant Massey).
Most of the violent scenes in the film are graphic and relentless. But what was so necessary to depict such graphic violence when it is based on the infamous 2006 Noida serial murders and such scenes might reopen the wounds of the victim's parents?
The violence in Sector 36 does not, by any stretch of the imagination, romanticize the act.
A couple of months back, the Hindi action thriller Kill, 2024, was publicized as the most brutal action film to have been produced in India ever. Technically, the action scenes were shot stylistically, and the stunts were gory to the core. However, the brutality displayed in Sector 36 is not to elevate the adrenaline levels of the audience. It is meant to provoke disgust and remind us that violence is nothing but a demonic act.
On a larger level, it presents a mirror to society, reminding one of the vigilance to be held towards predators who could be anyone from our surroundings. It also highlights how cautious we should be about protecting our children from this kind of cruelty.
At the same time, violence is not only about assaulting somebody physically. Aggressive behaviour can affect mentally as well and should be included in this category of violence.
The stubborn and arrogant behaviour of Ram Charan Pandey (Deepak Dobriyal) at the beginning of the film reveals that the administration did not care about those deaths because they belonged to slums.
In conclusion, Sector 36 forces viewers to grapple with graphic violence confronting us with both physical and psychological brutalities so that we question the apathy of society and the emphasis on the measures necessary for the protection of vulnerable individuals of our family as well as society. Its unsettling depiction reminds us of the dangers lurking within our surroundings and the importance of watchfulness.
ALSO READ | Dr Bezbaruah 2, Anur, Pathaan And Some Gibberish!
Dipankar Sarkar is a film critic who contributes to different publications- both national and international. He is a Research Fellowship from the NFAI, Pune, India, and was one of the panelists for the selection of world cinema at the 27th International Film Festival of Kerala in 2022.
