‘Inspector Zende’: Bajpayee, Sobhraj, comedy, and yawn

The story of Charles Sobhraj is not new… we have seen his criminal life unfold on the big screen more than once. Back in 2015, Randeep Hooda’s ‘Main Aur Charles’ constructed the notorious criminal through the eyes of police officer Amod Kanth. More recently, Vikramaditya Motwane’s web series ‘Black Warrant’ on Tihar jail had Sobhraj as one of its key characters. And then there has been BBC’s drama series ‘The Serpent’.

So, what can ‘Inspector Zende’, based on the escape and capture, rather recapture, of the dreaded serial killer offer? For starters, it introduces us to Inspector Madhukar Bapurao Zende (Manoj Bajpayee). The spin is kind of new and ‘Inspector Zende’ is couched as a comedy. A tall order, indeed!

Making the tale of a dreaded criminal on the run funny is not everyone’s forte, even when you have a stellar actor like Bajpayee in the saddle. He makes you chuckle here and there, but as his character of Inspector Zende asks one of his colleagues, “Why don’t you laugh?”, the query could well apply to us too.

Writer-director Chinmay Mandlekar throws in a few capers in this parody of sorts, but his execution falls way short. Of course, we are flummoxed as to why the film, which sticks to real life Inspector Madhukar Bapurao Zende, fictionalises Charles Sobhraj. He becomes someone suspiciously close… Carl Bhojraj. But make no mistake, the character played by Jim Sarbh is certainly fashioned after the notorious killer.

Instead of ‘Bikini Killer’, he is called ‘Swimsuit Killer’. Nevertheless, he remains someone who could charm women off their feet.

The film begins with his rather ingenuous escape from Tihar. Those privy to ‘Black Warrant’ know all too well how the slimy smooth-talker maneuvered his way out of the prison in Delhi. Hence, not many surprises on that count. That he will be caught again is a given and Inspector Zende of Mumbai Police achieving the mission impossible, too, is obvious. Clearly, the thrill would lie in how this cat, ahem mongoose, would capture the snake. But not much luck here.

Zende and his team are on a secret mission. And guess where the sleuths, including the Maharashtra DGP (Sachin Khedkar), meet? Well, the rendezvous point is Zende’s rather modest home in a chawl.

The film provides its few chuckle-worthy moments. As there are not enough chairs in Zende’s house, he sits on his children’s bike. And you can’t suppress that smile. Indeed, Bajpayee is a pro at playing the desi spy with no airs, an ordinary, unassuming family man (you have seen it before.) Here, he queues up to get milk, but takes his duty more seriously and with courage and conviction.

Agreed, real heroes come in all sizes and shapes, even fumble and mumble and can pronounce Chantal as Chantaal. Still, the exceptional Manoj Bajpayee can’t save the film from going down the hill of mediocrity.

The ‘wifey’ angle, him calling her ‘commissioner’, is kind of relatable if not outright endearing. Noted Marathi actress Girija Oak looks lovely as the supportive and concerned wife. And Jim plays the enigmatic ladies’ man and killer as best as the script would allow him. Even though his character is not so well-etched, the Sobhraj imprint he imbues to his audacious reel persona is impressive.

However, performances alone do not make a film. Nor a few nice touches here and there.

Except for a few sporadic moments, ‘Inspector Zende’ fails to thrill or chill. If the idea was to create a laugh riot, it does not bring the house down. Whatever may be the mark of a true man, as Zende goes on to extol the virtues of what makes one a cut above the rest, the true measure of a film is its consistent engagement or entertainment quotient.

‘Inspector Zende’, the film, not the actor, lacks in both departments and ends up as a rather lacklustre affair. Even with a runtime of less than two hours, it is strictly time pass.