Manoj Bajpayee as Inspector Zende in Netflix’s upcoming crime drama, streaming September 5 (Netflix)
Netflix has finally released that much buzzing trailer for its crime drama Inspector Zende and features India's popular actor Manoj Bajpayee as Mumbai's icon policeman, Madhukar Zende. The movie, streaming on September 5, narrates the pursuit of the bikini killer, popularly known as the 'Bikani Killer' in one of the most dramatic chapters of Indian criminal history. Carl Bhojraj has been depicted, based on the character from the original story, with Jim Sarbh enacting that of the dreaded criminal.
Bajpayee is in uniform in the trailer and rests his hand on his team of officers in the lower part of the trailer, promising to outsmart one of the best criminal masterminds who think he is untouched by law in reality. Just before the trailer release, Netflix teased its audience with a poster that reads: "Interpol's most wanted meets Mumbai's most unstoppable. Can Carl Bhojraj escape this time?"
In the real-life, that of Charles Sobhraj, he became internationally known for duping unsuspecting travelers across Asia in the 1970s. Famous for deceitful manipulation and cold-blooded slaughters, he left trails of crime in several countries. Madhukar Zende became the pivotal person in his capture, rising to the level of legend within Indian police.
This dramatization of Inspector Zende entails a tickle to the valiant work put in by Indian law enforcement in tracking one of the world’s most elusive criminals. It does not return to history but reimagines a psychological duel between a disciplined officer and a calculating fugitive. Under the aegis of Chinmay D. Mandlekar, the narrative promises a cocktail of authenticity and cinematic intensity.
ALSO READ: ‘1+1=3’: Bollywood Celebs Cheer Parineeti Chopra, Raghav Chadha on Pregnancy
Bhalchandra Kadam, Sachin Khedekar, Girija Oak and Harish Dudhade have also joined Bajpayee and Sarbh in his performance, which means that there is weight behind the drama and a human touch.
The very argument for which Inspector Zende is popularized into popular culture has also featured in earlier documentaries as well as his own memoir, Mumbai's Most Wanted: The Thrilling Case Files of a Supercop. Yet the Bajpayee interpretation would add a whole new facet to it by bringing the fineness of a real-life cop to the charisma of a well-known actor.
Yet the saga of Sobhraj continues to fascinate. One of India's most shocking prison breaks continues to be his daring escape in 1986 from Tihar Jail, where he is believed to have drugged guards during a fake celebration. This Netflix drama does not revive only the chase, but the aura of fear and intrigue smothered Sobhraj for decades.
Indeed, as crime dramas have become a worldwide fascination for all kinds of viewers in recent years, Inspector Zende carries more than suspense it carries the confrontation between legality and lawlessness, between determination and deception. Come September 5, and the world would watch as supercop Manoj Bajpayee is about to create his chasing justice time.
ALSO READ: Why Sunidhi Chauhan’s Parents Disowned Her After She Chose Bobby Khan At Just 18?
