Netflix’s *Inspector Zende*, starring Manoj Bajpayee, has quickly captured the public’s attention. The film tells the thrilling story of the Mumbai Police’s pursuit of a serial killer, drawing inspiration from the life of Charles Sobhraj, commonly known as the Bikini Killer. With the movie’s release, audiences are keen to know the current situations of Charles Sobhraj and Inspector Madhukar Zende, as well as the accuracy of the events presented in the film.
Charles Sobhraj, born in Saigon in 1944 to an Indian father and a Vietnamese mother, was known as ‘The Serpent’, ‘Bikini Killer’, and ‘Splitting Killer’. It is believed that he murdered more than 20 tourists in South Asia and Southeast Asia. He was imprisoned in India from 1976 to 1997 and returned to France after being released. In 2003, he was given a life sentence in Nepal and was released due to old age after serving 19 years.
The case was reignited for Inspector Zende when he discovered Sobhraj’s location in Goa. Zende and his team secretly followed Sobhraj to the popular O’Coquiro restaurant, where Sobhraj often contacted his wife. The operation was successful, and Zende arrested Sobhraj for the second time, an event that made him famous across India and earned him recognition from individuals like Rajiv Gandhi and Dilip Kumar. Today, Inspector Madhukar Zende, now 88 years old, remains remembered for his double capture of Sobhraj. His story has been retold in books, TV shows, and now in Netflix’s *Inspector Zende*, where he appears shaking hands with Manoj Bajpayee in the closing scene.
The Netflix film features Manoj Bajpayee as Inspector Zende and Jim Sarbh as Charles Sobhraj, with Sachin Khedekar, Girija Oak, Harish Dudhde, Omkar Raut, Vaibhav Mangle, and Bhalchandra Kadam in supporting roles. Manoj Bajpayee expressed his fascination with Inspector Zende’s character, stating, “What fascinated me about Inspector Zende was that he wasn’t chasing glory. He was just doing his job, yet caught one of the most notorious criminals twice. His bravery, humour, and that unmistakable Mumbai flavour make his journey truly inspiring. Meeting him felt like stepping into a storybook, with a lifetime of tales to tell. Playing him let me dive into a world that’s as gritty as it is entertaining. The trailer is only a glimpse, the film takes you right into the heart of it. I’m glad his story is finally getting the spotlight it deserves, and that too globally on Netflix.”