Upamanyu Biswas
In his feature debut, ‘Sector 36,’ Aditya Nimbalkar chronicles a harrowing tale of missing children in the slums of Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The movie follows Sub-Inspector Ram Charan Pandey, the head of an under-resourced wing of the police department whose life is upended when he comes across a sinister conspiracy involving vanished kids, dead bodies, murder, and an elusive serial killer named Prem Singh. As the narrative progresses, Ram Charan has to contend with the inner complexities of the police department, Prem’s insidious acts, and a growing number of deaths.
The Netflix movie presents a chilling account of a serial killing case wrapped in other darker secrets that take their time to unfold. With themes of poverty, class disparity, abuse, exploitation, and corruption at its core, the movie probes into a story about accountability and unimaginable horrors. While the focus primarily lies on Pandey’s investigation and the challenges he faces to get to the truth, viewers are also given a glimpse into Prem Singh’s mindset and gruesome exploits. Thus, questions are sure to abound regarding the authenticity of the serial killer and whether the film is based on a true story. SPOILERS AHEAD.
A Chilling Real-Life Serial Murder Case Inspires Sector 36
Penned by Bodhayan Roychaudhury, ‘Sector 36’ is vaguely inspired by a real-life Noida crime case known as the Nithari Killings. From 2005 to 2006, a series of murders took place allegedly in the house of businessman Moninder Singh Pandher, who lived in Sector-31, Noida, an area close to Nithari village in Uttar Pradesh, India. After an investigation, several bodies were recovered near house D-5, Pandher’s residence, which mostly belonged to children. Pandher and his domestic worker, Surinder Koli, were subsequently arrested under charges of abduction, rape, and murder. The case became a media sensation in India due to the horrifying nature of the crimes inflicted on the victims and their sheer numbers.
Initially, in December 2006, two Nithari village residents told the police that they knew the location of the missing children from the past two years. The place they suspected was a municipal water tank behind house D5, the same one owned by Moninder Singh Pandher. However, when they reportedly felt ignored by the local authorities, former Resident Welfare Association (RWA) President S.C. Mishra stepped in to help them with their search process. During the discovery, one of the residents eventually claimed to have found a hand in a decomposed state, which was reported to the police. Subsequently, Pandher and Surinder Koli were brought in for questioning on December 26 and 27, respectively.
Later, Koli confessed to having killed six children and a 20-year-old woman after sexually assaulting them. He later recanted his confessions, alleging he was coerced by the authorities. Following his revelations, the police started digging up the area around Pandher’s residence, where numerous bodies were found. The investigation went on and finally concluded, with Pandher and Koli being deemed the primary accused. The former was convicted in two out of five criminal cases against him, while Koli was handed convictions in about 12 cases. The pair were sentenced to death initially; however, in 2023, they were both cleared of their charges by the Allahabad High Court, which cited a lack of evidence as the primary reason behind their acquittal. As of 2023, Surinder was still in prison because one of his convictions had been upheld by the court.
Prem Singh: A Sinister Serial Killer With Loose Ties to Reality
Although the inspirations of ‘Sector 36’ are evident, the movie begins with a disclaimer stating that creative liberties were taken during the development process. These slight alterations allowed the filmmakers to pursue their tale without strictly adhering to everything that happened during the actual case. However, the film’s primary serial killer antagonist, Prem Singh, who is a fictional creation of scriptwriter Bodhayan Roychaudhury, has clear connections to one of the alleged real-life perpetrators of the Nithari Killings, Surinder Koli. He was the helper of Moninder Singh Pandher, both of whom were convicted and later acquitted of their charges in 2023.
Just like his real-life counterpart, Prem works as an aid for a wealthy owner named Balbir Singh Bassi, who himself is loosely inspired by Moninder Singh Pandher. While working under him, Prem carries out several gruesome murders and deaths, including the killing of an adult sex worker named Chumki. In the actual case, Koli confessed to having killed a 20-year-old woman named Payal, who was the only adult victim in the Nithari Killings. Therefore, distinct parallels can be found in Prem and Koli’s confession accounts. The only difference between the two is that the latter was eventually acquitted of his convictions, while no such outcome was handed out for Prem.
Vikrant Massey, who plays Prem Singh, delved into serial killer documentaries and books like ‘Inside the Mind of a Serial Killer’ to prepare for his role. In an interview, he revealed, “The larger idea remains the same whether it is a serial offender or a killer, they look just like you and me. But what separates them from a so-called average person or a normal person is what lies within them. The way they process things, see things or their worldview at large. Nonchalance was something which was very important for me to portray this character. We wanted to keep it very simple… So that’s the ease with which you see me operate.”
As a character, Prem Singh presents a disturbing insight into the pathology of a serial killer and all the accompanying mysteries that come with it. When dissecting his origins, ties can be found to one of the Nithari Killing’s alleged murderers, namely Surinder Koli. However, on the whole, the character is a creation of scriptwriter Bodhayan Roychaudhury and is mostly confined to the realms of fiction.
Read More: Surinder Koli: What Happened to Suspected Serial Killer?
