Inspector Zende Review — "A Cat, A Mouse, and One Very Witty Cop"

Release Date : 05 Sep 2025

Inspector Zende may not be the flashiest thriller of the year, but it’s got brains, heart, and Bajpayee.

Directed by: Chinmay Mandlekar
Starring: Manoj Bajpayee, Jim Sarbh, Sachin Khedekar, Girija Oak, Bhau Kadam, and others
Duration: 112 minutes
Streaming on: Netflix
 
In the age of high-tech crime thrillers, Inspector Zende takes a wonderfully nostalgic detour — back to a time when solving a case meant street smarts, sharp pencils, and even sharper moustaches. Set in the dusty, analog world of the late 80s and 90s, this Netflix drama serves up true crime with a generous side of charm, wit, and wonderfully moustached men chasing after villains with nothing but grit and gut instinct.
 
Manoj Bajpayee, in his element as the titular Inspector Zende, delivers yet another quietly magnetic performance — this time as a man whose brain is quicker than his baton. He isn’t here to beat up bad guys in slo-mo. No, Zende thinks, jokes, and outsmarts. He’s like Columbo meets Chulbul Pandey, but minus the swagger and with more sensible footwear.
 
The story revolves around Zende’s long-drawn mission to catch a criminal so sly he probably steals thoughts before people even think them. Enter Jim Sarbh, who plays said slick villain with the charisma of a TED Talk speaker and the menace of a cobra in a Gucci suit. Every time these two share screen space, it’s like watching chess… if both players were also stand-up comedians with a score to settle.
 
Director Chinmay Mandlekar’s storytelling is surprisingly light-footed. It’s a film about crime, yes — but also about faith, bureaucracy, middle-class morality, and... missing bicycles. It never wallows in darkness, nor does it over-glorify the police. Instead, Inspector Zende quietly celebrates the kind of honest civil servant who forgets to take credit — and even forgets to punch out.
 
The film dips into some emotional detours that may slow things down midway, and the climax doesn’t exactly explode — it simmers, much like Zende himself. But it all wraps up with the kind of moral clarity we don’t get enough of in our grey-shaded antihero era.

Inspector Zende may not be the flashiest thriller of the year, but it’s got brains, heart, and Bajpayee. Think of it as crime cinema with a middle-class soul — and a sly smile. He may not wear a cape, but Zende proves that sometimes, all it takes to catch a criminal is a notepad, a nose for nonsense, and a whole lot of patience.