Inspector Zende had the potential to be genuinely entertaining. Instead, it settles for formulaic fun, observes Mayur Sanap.
The streaming space is not done with Charles Sobhraj yet.
If The Serpent delved into his cunning intelligence and Black Warrant showed his manipulative ways, the latest Netflix film Inspector Zende adds a new spin to the lore of the notorious criminal.
This is a true story, but there's a whimsical comedic touch to the material that makes it farcical.
In this endeavour, the infamous tag 'Bikini Killer' is turned into a 'Swimsuit Killer'.
And the murderous trickster, played by Jim Sarbh, is renamed Carl Bhojraj.
But this is not the story of Sobhraj's smarts, but how he fumbled.
The hero of the story is Inspector Madhukar Zende of the Mumbai police, a real-life figure who apprehended Sobhraj -- not once, but twice.
Manoj Bajpayee channels the Marathi manoos energy in the titular character, and unlike his constable Ganpath Bhonsle in Devashish Makhija's touching 2018 film Bhonsle, there is an ample display of his signature wit and charm as the cop on hot pursuit in this lightweight comedy.
Actor-turned-director Chinmay Mandlekar, particular known for his work in Marathi cinema, goes for a blend of comedy and crime in his Hindi feature directorial debut. But for all its winking and nudging and Bajpayee at the helm, Inspector Zende feels strangely flat.
The film begins with Sobhraj's 1986 prison break from Tihar jail, which was depicted in the Netflix show Black Warrant.
The Mumbai police is under tremendous scrutiny.
'Naak kaat di (brought us disgrace),' Bajpayee's Zende says at one point, who had earlier nabbed the serial killer in the 1971 operation.
Bhojraj (Sarbh) is suspected to be hiding in Goa from where he is planning to abscond from the country.
A special team led by Zende begins a covert operation in Goa to track down the culprit.
Mandlekar, who has also written the story, takes a piece from the real-life crime lore and paints a parody around it. But the film is weighed down by clichés of the action-comedy and never fully becomes the entertaining romp it wants to be, despite a very interesting premise.
The film's better elements have Bajpayee's verbal humour, especially when his character is dealing with his subordinate (played by Bhalchandra Kadam).
Kadam is entertaining with his goofball nervousness and shares a fun camaraderie with Bajpayee.
The rest of comedic bits are more miss than hit, with actors like Sachin Khedekar (as an exasperated headman), Girija Oak Godbole (a puranpoli-making dutiful wife) and Vaibhav Mangle (a frisky senior) doing a slightly different version of the same characters they have played before.
The film packs almost a non-existent level of excitement that you would see coming.
Most of the film is just Bajpayee goofing around. This is a kind of character that he could do even in his sleep.
His middle-class man who also serves as a serviceman is caper comedy gold, the same way as The Family Man.
He tries his best to elevate the generic material but the character gets into a succession of predictable clichés, leaving his impact as Zende as only mildly amusing.
Jim Sarbh comes across as someone who is constantly looking for a punchline or a scene to make an impression. The role demands smouldering looks and he handles that side well.
But this version of Charles Sobhraj is too mundane to be having any fun, and Sarbh also appears as a caricature after a point due to creaky material.
Inspector Zende had the potential to be genuinely entertaining. Instead, it settles for formulaic fun, making it a largely forgettable watch.
Inspector Zende streams on Netflix.
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