Inspector Zende review: When a film stars an actor as gifted as Manoj Bajpayee, you walk in expecting intensity, depth, and compelling drama. Sadly, Inspector Zende, streaming on Netflix, is a colossal letdown that wastes not only its subject but also its star power.
Here, Charles Sobhraj has been turned into Karl Bhojraj, as if he were a don from a Bhojpuri potboiler. The Mumbai Police are portrayed like a troupe of small-town comedians. If you want to show the police, why write characters only to make a joke out of them? The story has neither depth nor length; it often feels like kids in a neighbourhood playing cops and robbers. Manoj Bajpayee has been used even worse here than he was in Bhaiyya Ji.
Inspector Zende story
This is the story of Mumbai Police inspector Madhukar Zende, who caught the infamous—some would say notorious—serial killer Charles Sobhraj not once but twice. How, in those days and with barely any resources, no vehicles, and no budget, the Mumbai Police pulled this off is what the film tries (and fails) to depict.
How is Inspector Zende?
This is yet another bad Netflix film. Netflix’s own series Black Warrant presented Charles Sobhraj far better than this. Why change his name here at all? And if you must, at least choose something dignified. Almost every police officer shown feels like they’re being mocked. The forced comedy never lands; when the effort itself is forced, how are we supposed to laugh? It’s infuriating that Mumbai Police—among the smartest forces in the world—are shown like this. There are hardly any twists or turns; even children playing cops and robbers on a lane would improvise more. An actor as brilliant as Manoj Bajpayee has been completely squandered. Why this film was made is beyond understanding.
Performances
Manoj Bajpayee is one of the finest actors in the country—his talent is beyond doubt. He tries here too, but the story and screenplay are so childish that he can’t do much. The rest of the cast simply try to make you laugh; even a bargain-basement version of The Kapil Sharma Show would deliver better comedy and acting. Jim Sarbh, a terrific actor, is presented terribly. Girija Oak looks good on screen and plays her part sensibly.
Writing & direction
Written and directed by Chinmay Mandlekar, and that’s where the film meets its biggest villain. The writing is poor, the direction unremarkable; several times you won’t understand why this film exists or what exactly is going on.
Verdict
Overall, watching this film is a waste of time. You can give it one star purely for Manoj Bajpayee—and nothing more.
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