'Inspector Zende': Manoj Bajpayee, Jim Sarbh to Front Netflix's Cat-and-Mouse Drama

Drawn from real events, the film will premiere on Netflix on September 5

Team THR India
By Team THR India
LAST UPDATED: AUG 09, 2025, 12:11 IST|5 min read
A still from 'Inspector Zende'
A still from 'Inspector Zende'

Manoj Bajpayee is returning to Netflix India after his comic antics in Killer Soup. This time, the versatile actor will star in and as Inspector Zende, a cop determined to nab the 'swimsuit killer' (a veiled allusion to Charles Shobraj, popularly known as the 'bikini killer') after his sensational breakout from Tihar Jail in the 1980s.

Jim Sarbh will play the role of Bajpayee's quarry, a charming trickster named Carl Bhojraj, in the film loosely drawn from real events. Directed by Chinmay D. Mandlekar, the quirky drama will premiere on Netflix on September 5. Bhalchandra Kadam, Sachin Khedekar, Girija Oak and Harish Dudhade will also appear in key roles.

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Madhukar Zende (retired) is a former ACP of the Mumbai Police who apprehended Charles Shobraj at a Goa restuarant in 1986. Earlier this year, Zenda published his memoir, Mumbai’s Most Wanted, detailing his many adventures as a steely supercop.

Producer Om Raut feels Inspector Zende’s story deserves to be 'seen, remembered and celebrated'.

A gripping chase that’s as entertaining as it is inspiring, and most essentially, it was my father’s dream to make a film on Inspector Zende. Bringing this film to life with Netflix has been an incredible journey," Raut said in a statement.

Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh, Director of Original Films, Netflix India, said, "Inspector Zende flips the classic cop-versus-criminal story on its head, deftly blending comedy and crime to deliver something truly unexpected. Inspired by true events, the film marks the Hindi directorial debut of Chinmay D. Mandlekar, who brings a grounded sense of place and perspective to the storytelling."

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In his vast career, Manoj Bajpayee has played cops of varying hues, from the upright and indignant lawman in Shool (1999) to the desk-bound saviour in Dial 100 (2021). Bajpayee's most recent outing was Despatch (2024), a paranoid thriller directed by Kanu Behl.

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