Anuj Kumar of The Hindu wrote "A string of heart-warming moments and a malleable Manoj keep us invested in this otherwise generic hunt for the Serpent."Read at source
Inspector Zende 2025 
Synopsis
Inspector Zende
Inspector Zende is a 2025 Indian Hindi-language comedy thriller film directed and written by Chinmay Mandlekar and produced by Jay Shewakramani and Om Raut. The film stars Manoj Bajpayee as Inspector Madhukar Zende and Jim Sarbh as Carl Bhojraj, a character inspired by the infamous serial killer Charles Sobhraj. It was released on 5 September 2025 on Netflix.
- Director
- Chinmay Mandlekar
- Release
- 5 Sept 2025
- Studio
- Netflix
- Run time
- 112 min
- Language
- Hindi
Reviews
10 Indian-media reviews, grouped by reception.
Critics' consensus
Mixed
Critics' aggregate for Inspector Zende is 58/100 from 8 scored critic/publication reviews.
Synthesized by AI (gpt-5-codex-omdb-enricher) from 11 source-backed reviews — verify against the linked sources.Common praise
- performances
Watch points
- writing
Positive 8
Archika Khurana of The Times of India gave 3.5 stars out of 5 and said that "Watch it for Manoj Bajpayee and Jim Sarbh’s performances, nostalgic 80s Mumbai, and a light-hearted take on a legendary manhunt."Read at source
Jaya Dwivedie of India TV rated it 3.5/5 stars and writes "'Inspector Zende' definitely deserves a watch.Read at source
Lachmi Deb Roy of Firstpost rated it 3/5 stars and said that "Everything said and done, the film is immensely superior to the other releases of this week and as usual Manoj Bajpayee is absolutely phenomenal.Read at source
Udita Jhunjhunwala writing for Mint said that "Muddled history and a parodic tone hamper this new film version of the Charles Sobhraj story."Read at source
Radhika Sharma of NDTV gave 3.5 stars out of 5 and said that "Inspector Zende would have remained incomplete without its superb supporting cast with memorable performances."Read at source
Rishabh Suri of Hindustan Times gave 3 stars out of 5 and said that "Overall, Inspector Zende is an engaging watch in parts, lifted by Manoj Bajpayee’s steady presence and a cast that rises to the occasion.Read at source
Shubham Kulkarni of OTT Play rated it 2.5/5 star and said that "The new Netflix film aspires to turn a gory story into a pulp fiction-like narrative but forgets that aspiration midway."Read at source
Critical 2
Mayur Sanap of Rediff.com rated 2/5 stars and observed that "Inspector Zende had the potential to be genuinely entertaining.Read at source
Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave 2 stars out of 5 and said that " The attempt at a serio-comic tone in the Manoj Bajpayee-Jim Sarbh film falls flat with only an occasional leap or two, with the writing struggling to match the audacity of the criminal and the enterprise of his nemesis."Read at source
Media & trailers
Verified video records attached to this title.
Details
Technical specs
- Release date
- 5 Sept 2025
- Run time
- 112 min
- Language
- Hindi
- Country
- IN
- Director
- Chinmay Mandlekar
- Studio
- Netflix
- Distributor
- Netflix
- Certificate
- TV-MA
Trivia
- The film draws from the real-life story of Mumbai police officer Madhukar Zende, who arrested Charles Sobhraj in 1971 and again in 1986 after his escape from Tihar Jail.
- Jim Sarbh portrays Carl Bhojraj, a character inspired by the infamous serial killer Charles Sobhraj.
- The project was officially announced by Netflix on 7 August 2025, featuring Manoj Bajpayee and Jim Sarbh in the lead roles.
- This film marks the directorial debut of Chinmay Mandlekar, who also wrote and directed the movie.
- The film premiered exclusively on Netflix on 5 September 2025.
- The movie is set in the current timeline of 1980, following the events of the protagonist's previous capture of the criminal fifteen years prior.
Tags
Hindi Cinema2025Hindi FilmReleasedHindi
