I watched Inspector Zende with high expectations, but the film left me disappointed. If I had to rate it, I would give it only 1.5 stars out of 5.
The movie tries to present itself as a quirky cat-and-mouse comedy, but the humor never rises beyond slapstick. The jokes felt juvenile, like hanging out with someone whose sense of humor never grew past middle school. Instead of being sharp, witty, or even darkly funny, the comedy just fell flat.
What makes this more frustrating is that the story had so much potential. The real Inspector Madhukar Zende captured Charles Sobhraj twice, a tale filled with tension, mystery, and intrigue. But here, that rich history is wasted on gags that feel hollow and misplaced.
Manoj Bajpayee is the only saving grace. He brings sincerity and grit to Zende, but even he cannot elevate the weak script. I could sense shades of his earlier roles, but this time they felt empty. Jim Sarbh, who could have made Carl Bhojraj menacing and magnetic, instead comes across as cartoonish—more caricature than criminal.
By the second half, the pacing drags, the suspense is gone, and the entire narrative feels predictable. What could have been a tense thriller instead fizzles into a repetitive and frustrating watch.
My verdict: Inspector Zende is more irritating than entertaining. The comedy falls flat, the suspense evaporates, and the talent of its cast is squandered. At best, it’s the kind of film you might play in the background while folding laundry. 1.5 stars out of 5.
