The saga of criminal Charles Sobhraj has been cinematically interpreted by a few filmmakers down the decades, including in a Netflix series, The Serpent. The French killer-fraudster, amoral to the core, was also much wanted by Interpol and even faced trouble in Nepal. He normally cornered foreign tourists and often murdered them ruthlessly once he got what he wanted from them.
This time, writer-director Chinmay Mandlekar gives a comic twist to the saga, while essentially basing it on the memoirs of Inspector Zende, Mumbai Police, who arrested him twice over—in 1971 and again in 1986. Zende and his team relentlessly pursued him when he escaped from Tihar Jail with three others after drugging the jail officers and staff in this phase in the 1980s.
Crisp and comic, the film gets its humor from the situations the police (who trace him all the way to Goa) face or fall into. Of course, other than Zende (Manoj Bajpayee plays the ace cop, who is now 88 and lives in Delhi) himself, the names of the other characters are changed, with the ‘Bikini Killer’ being called Carl Bhograj (Jim Sarbh).
Within all this crisp 112-minute saga, an incisive comment is made between the rivalry of the Delhi and Goa police with the Mumbai cops, but the film is like a riveting watch at home, and I would compare it with a fresh breeze that refreshes you on a hot day, no less. The cat-and-mouse game as the threads are unraveled and the thrilling elements of a good thriller are intact, but along with all that, the steady inflow of humor makes the film join the ranks of crime comedy capers.
Manoj Bajpayee, while essentially being himself, makes for a very effective Zende. Jim Sarbh, as Bhograj, is charm and wile personified. Excellent support comes from Girija Oak as Vijaya, Zende’s wife, Vaibhav Mangle as Fonseca, Harish Dudhade as Jacob, Onkar Raut as Patekar, Bharat Savale as Naik, Devaang Bagga as Lalit, Nitin Bhajan as Ram Deshmane and Madhav Vaze as Joshi Kaka. Sachin Khedekar is effective as Director-General of Police Purandare. But it is Bhalchandra Kadam as the nervous cop, Patil, who stands out with his impeccable sense of comic timing. The ‘Rishi Kapoor’ sequence is hilarious.
Sanket Sane’s songs, Mazhi baygo and Charlie Baby, work beautifully in context and especially the first song is cleverly filmed. The film is given a certain cinematographic tone and all credit there to DOP Vishal Sinha. Meghna Manchanda Sen’s editing adds to the superb pacing along with the outstanding direction and zany script, both by Mandlekar.
This film would have probably done good business in theatrical release, and this OTT fare is a must-watch for its overall entertainment Quotient.
Rating: ***1/2
Netflix presents Inspector Zende Produced by: Jay Shewakramani & Om Raut Written & Directed by: Chinmay Mandlekar Music: Sanket Sane Starring: Manoj Bajpayee, Jim Sarbh, Sachin Khedekar, Girija Oak, Bhalchandra Kadam, Vaibhav Mangle, Harish Dudhade, Onkar Raut, Bharat Savale, Devaang Bagga, Nitin Bhajan, Madhav Vaze & others
