 "Netflix & Manoj Bajpayee's 'Inspector Zende': Why was French criminal Charles Sobhraj called the 'bikini killer' & 'serpent'?")
Netflix’s latest outing, Inspector Zende, featuring Manoj Bajpayee, has released today and is garnering praise from fans. The OTT film is based on the life of seasoned officer Madhukar Zende, who arrested criminal Charles Sobhraj not once but twice.
In the past, we have seen many movies based on and around the life of the French serial killer, like Main Aur Charles and _Black Warrant_, among others. In Inspector Zende, Jim Sarbh portrays the character of Charles Sobhraj, who was also called the ‘bikini killer’ and ‘serpent’.
Why was he called the ‘bikini killer’ & ‘serpent’
One of the most notorious criminals of the 20th century, the infamous serial killer Charles Sobhraj, was known for his charming personality and sharp mind. Born as Hotchand Bhawnani Gurmukh Sobhraj on 6 April 1944 in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam), he was known as the Bikini Killer because of the attire of several of his victims, as well as the Splitting Killer and the Serpent for “his snake-like ability to avoid detection by authorities.
In 1975, he returned to India after several escapes and met Marie-Andrée Leclerc, a Canadian woman who would become his second wife, and Ajay Chowdhury, his accomplice. The trio went to execute several murders and thefts.
As per reports published in CNBC TV18, one of Sobhraj’s first known victims was Teresa Knowlton, a 21-year-old whose body was discovered floating in Pattaya, dressed in a bikini. She was followed by Vitali Hakim, whose burned remains were discovered roadside. When Hakim’s girlfriend came searching for him, she too fell victim to Sobhraj, her lifeless body floating eerily in the water, also clad in a bikini. Hence, he was called the ‘Bikini Killer’.
Sobhraj murdered at least 20 tourists in South and Southeast Asia, including 14 in Thailand. He was convicted and jailed in India from 1976 to 1997. After his release he returned to France. Sobhraj went to Nepal in 2003, where he was arrested, tried, and given a life sentence. On 21 December 2022, the Supreme Court of Nepal ordered his release from prison because of his old age, after he had served 19 years of his prison term. On 23 December, he was released and deported to France.
Inspector Zende
Talking about Inspector Zende, the movie also features Sachin Khedekar, Bhalchandra Kadam, Girija Oak, Onkar Raut, and Harish Dudhade, among others. It is directed by Chinmay Mandlekar.
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