Star Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Jim Sarbh
Director: Chinmay D Mandlekar
Inspector Zende Movie Review Synopsis:
INSPECTOR ZENDE is the story of a cop trying to catch a dreaded gangster. On March 16, 1986, Carl Bhojraj (Jim Sarbh), who has committed 32 murders, escapes from Delhi’s Tihar Jail along with his accomplices – David Jones (Peter Delight), Lalit Khatana (Devaang Bagga), Ratan Tomar (Ajeet Singh Pahlawat) and Subhash Tyagi (Sukumar Tudu). An honest cop from Mumbai Police, Madhukar Zende (Manoj Bajpayee), is summoned by Maharashtra’s DGP, Chandrakant Purandare (Sachin Khedekar) to catch Carl. Zende is assigned this mission for a reason. He’s the one who caught Carl red-handed way back in 1971. At that time, Carl was a small-time thief and now he has become a dangerous murderer. Hence, the risk is a lot, but Zende takes up the challenge. He’s joined by brave officers like Patil (Bhalchandra Kadam), Jacob (Harish Dudhade), Deshmane (Nitin Bhajan), Naik (Bharat Savale) and Patekar (Onkar Raut). These five officers, however, are on an unofficial, secret mission. In other words, they not only have to catch Carl but also can’t take official help from police officers of other regions. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Inspector Zende Movie Story Review:
Chinmay D Mandlekar’s story is inspired by true events. Chinmay D Mandlekar’s screenplay is entertaining and peppered with a lot of humour and quirk. Chinmay D Mandlekar’s dialogues add to the fun and madness.
Chinmay D Mandlekar’s direction is exemplary. Usually, films sourced from real-life episodes tend to be serious, especially when dealing with a ruthless criminal. But INSPECTOR ZENDE is filled with funny moments that keep the mood light, despite the subject. The characters are well fleshed out and moreover, the makers keep the duration in check. In just 112 minutes, they manage to tell the story without rushing through the narrative. A few scenes stand out – Carl’s arrest in 1971, the madness in the hotel in Panvel, the meeting of the cops in Zende’s house and Zende mocking Delhi’s ACP, Vyas. The finale is very amusing and the film ends on a justified note.
On the flipside, the romantic track of Manoj Bajpayee and Girija Oak (Vijaya) doesn’t work as intended, though it has its moments. In the attempt to give a vintage colour tone, the team goes overboard and it looks awkward in the beginning scenes. The VFX is also tacky. Lastly, to keep the narrative light, one sometimes tends to forget that Carl is a dangerous killer who has committed more than 30 murders. As a result, Carl doesn’t seem very menacing. This affects the impact of a crucial scene where Patil (Bhalchandra Kadam) comes face-to-face with Carl and yet doesn’t nab him.
Inspector Zende | Official Trailer | Manoj Bajpayee, Jim Sarbh | Netflix India
Inspector Zende Movie Review Performances:
Manoj Bajpayee, as expected, gets his act right and enhances the humour quotient of the film, at times just through his mere expressions. Jim Sarbh is tailor-made for the part and delivers a suave performance. Sachin Khedekar lends able support, while Girija Oak is lovely. From the cops, Bhalchandra Kadam leaves the maximum mark. Harish Dudhade stands out because of a quirk in his character. Nitin Bhajan, Bharat Savale and Onkar Raut are decent. Vaibhav Mangale (Fonseca) is funny. Peter Delight and Ashwath Bhatt (ACP Vyas) manage to register, but Sukumar Tudu, Devaang Bagga and Ajeet Singh Pahlawat get a limited scope.
Inspector Zende movie music and other technical aspects:
Sanket Sane’s music is well-woven into the narrative. But the two songs, ‘Majhi Baygo’ and ‘Charlie Baby’, are not memorable. Ketan Sodha’s background score has a retro charm.
Vishal Sinha’s cinematography is satisfactory. Riyaz Shaikh and Habib Sayyed’s action is not gory at all. Phantom Digital Effects’ VFX, as mentioned above, is not up to the mark. Manish Sherla’s costumes (styling by Priyanka Castelino) are authentic. The same goes for Rajesh Choudhary’s production design. Meghna Manchanda Sen’s editing is slick.
Inspector Zende Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, INSPECTOR ZENDE is a refreshing blend of real-life inspiration and quirky storytelling, and stands out for its humor, crisp runtime, and stellar performances, especially Manoj Bajpayee and Jim Sarbh.