‘I don’t Seek Comfort at Any Point’

Manoj Bajpayee speaks with Puja Talwar about his latest film, Inspector Zende, and how he approaches his characters

- Manoj Bajpayee speaks with Puja Talwar

Three decades, countless roles, and still no sign of slowing down. For Manoj Bajpayee, reinvention is the process. In Netflix’s Inspector Zende, he steps into the shoes of the real-life cop Madhukar Zende. In this conversation, Bajpayee talks about approaching his characters, reuniting with Ram Gopal Varma after 27 years, and why nostalgia has no place in his career.

You play the eponymous Inspector Zende, which is inspired by the real-life story of Madhukar Zende. For someone who has played several versions of a cop on screen, how different was it this time? What drew you to director Chinmay Mandlekar’s film?

For me, it is important to understand the characters and where they come from. Mr Zende is 88 years old and extremely active. He still looks after his home in Pune, which he shared with his wife, who is no longer alive. He came from a village, belonging to a reputed family, and started his life in Mumbai, but he never compromised on his morals or beliefs. He was a devoted family man and never ate without offering food to his wife. He never used his power to demean anyone, so we are talking about such a person. If someone like that