Netflix’s latest release, Inspector Zende, is winning hearts across audiences and critics alike. The quirky crime drama has struck the right balance of humor and seriousness, making it a perfect entertainer for families. At the center of all the love is Manoj Bajpayee, whose performance as Inspector Zende has been unanimously praised, with many calling it one of his most enjoyable and memorable roles in recent years.
Manoj Bajpayee has donned the khaki several times in his illustrious 30-year career, playing everything from hardened cops to complex gangsters and layered mentors. Yet, his latest outing in Netflix’s \_Inspector Zende\_ has left him with a sense of joy and fulfillment unlike any other role in recent memory. For Manoj, what makes a role memorable isn’t the uniform, but the person beneath it.
The actor has now spoken about his differences with filmmaker Anurag Kashyap in an interview with Bollywood Hungama. Bajpayee revealed, “Anurag is standing because of his own conviction. He’s made too many enemies in the process. He’s broken glasses, he’s broken his own hand in anger, he’s fallen sick, but he’s stuck to his guns. He can be a better example for all filmmakers. Because they’re only looking at his films. But they should look at his journey and learn from him.”
He added, “I’d say I’m far more practical than him. He’s also practical, but he loses it sometimes. The day he starts answering to trolls, I realise that’s the time when he will losing his balance. But again, he comes back.”
Reflecting on his playing the role of Inspector Zende, he shares, “In the career spanning 30 years, you know, I have played many policemen, many gangsters, many good guys, many teachers, professors. But, you know, in the end, it boils down to the person that you are playing, not the uniform. But this person, Inspector Zende, I have never played before, it is a character very unlike who I am. I’m a quieter person off the set.I like to do my own thing. I like to read, I like to see authentic, credible news and form my own analysis of the world. But, I have enjoyed playing the role of Inspector Zende, so much, because there is a certain kind of humor, a certain kind of quirkiness, and energy that the director wanted me to bring into the character”