In the context of today's Indian Movie or Web Series the term "based on a real-story" has been used repeatedly in recent years. There is nothing wrong in dramatizing a real story to make a film. If films are reflections of society in a given time, it means every film tries to delineate the same in some form or other. If there is only copy cut of a real story that means compromising with creativity. Obviously, projecting reality in a film needs craftsmanship. But that reality can never be just narrating an event with celluloid glittering. Another term that Indian cinema is using repeatedly is "psycho" or "psychopath". Shakespeare's contemporary Ben Johnson identified mental state as "Humour". In Elizabethan England meaning of "humour" was different. It means certain trait of characters that provides uniqueness to every individual. Ben Johnson's humour proves that psycho or psychopath does not specify a certain sector rather it is the reality with ever individual. Psycho is ever present in all. But as today's films use the term psycho and connect it with crime are wrong approaches. But it is natural that a film will try to project what people want to watch.
As crime thriller has attained larger popularity in India, several films have been made on this. Sector 36 released in 2024 is another one. However, Sector 36 falls in the category of "Serial Killing" a different dimension of crime. Serial killing or such mindless slaughtering of the innocents is done because of whim, revenge, superstition and such others happen because of a perverted mentality. But Serial killing can never be characterized as psycho. This will be defaming human emotions. If all are psychos, why only serial killers be attributed with this?
As was expected, Sector 36 has not disappointed the viewers. However, the story of Sector 36 is nothing new. This is bound to happen if a writer throws away creativity while writing film-script and narrates a story just to create sensation. Like other films, Sector 36 suffers from the same ailment. Only celluloid sensation of crime and killing can never be a film script. Naturally, the plot seems swimming with the tide.
Here in such film character building a virtual non-entity. But this is true that despite melodrama, the actors have really performed well. But Vickram Messey does not seem a right choice. Question is not Messey's potentiality. Rather the question is presenting character in a befitting manner.
On the whole, Sector 36 is another addition of Crime Thriller in Bollywood. But is it justified to use a theme repeatedly? The viewers will enjoy watching this. But my apprehension is losing relevance and acceptability of a theme in certain theme. Indian Cinema must see Crime Thriller in Larger Perspective.
