Manoj Bajpayee, known for his roles in films like Satya and Gangs of Wasseypur, as well as the popular web series The Family Man, recently starred in Netflix's new crime thriller, Inspector Zende. The film, which premiered on September 5, 2025, features Bajpayee as Inspector Madhukar Zende, with Jim Sarbh playing Carl Bhojraj, a character inspired by the notorious serial killer Charles Sobhraj. The movie is a comedy thriller directed and written by Chinmay Mandlekar, and produced by Jay Shewakramani and Om Raut.

In a recent interview, Bajpayee opened up about his relationship with filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, with whom he has collaborated on several successful projects. Their work together includes Satya (1998) and Gangs of Wasseypur (2012), considered by many to be career highlights for both. Despite their success, the two didn't collaborate for over a decade after Satya, and have not worked together since Gangs of Wasseypur.

Bajpayee addressed the "fallout" with Kashyap, stating that the director has "made too many enemies". He elaborated that Kashyap's journey is one of conviction, marked by both professional and personal turmoil. "[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,” Bajpayee said.

Bajpayee also noted Kashyap's tendency to create within chaos. "There are flip sides to him, there is always a dark phase that he goes through, but that's his personality. I personally feel that he can't create without chaos. So, his chaos is a positive indication to me that he is going to come up with something really fantastic". He did mention that one thing he dislikes about Kashyap is his untidiness.

In a past interview with Bollywood Bubble, Bajpayee had spoken about a misunderstanding that led to a strained relationship between him and Kashyap. He explained that they didn't communicate because he felt Kashyap wasn't making films that suited him, and Kashyap felt Bajpayee's career was declining. "There was a misunderstanding about one thing, and we didn't talk about it... We didn't talk because I felt he wasn't making films of my type, and he also felt that there was no need for Manoj Bajpayee right now because his career was going down," Bajpayee said.

Adding to the narrative, Kashyap had previously recounted an incident on The Kapil Sharma Show where Bajpayee chased him with a stone, feeling insulted by something he had said. Bajpayee and Kashyap's friendship began with Satya, where Bajpayee gained recognition for his role as Bhiku Mhatre, and Kashyap was a writer. They continued to collaborate on films like Kaun and Shool, but a misunderstanding caused a rift for many years.

Despite the ups and downs, Bajpayee acknowledges Kashyap's talent and courage as a filmmaker. He believes Kashyap's journey is a valuable lesson for aspiring filmmakers. “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". Bajpayee also considers himself more practical than Kashyap, though he admits Kashyap is also practical but "loses it sometimes".

Notably, Bajpayee revealed that Kashyap had started writing a film for him after Gangs of Wasseypur but abandoned it midway. "We were discussing a film very seriously. But Anurag being Anurag, he is very unpredictable, and I accept him in all of his flaws... He realised that he is not being able to do justice to it as a writer, so we stopped," Bajpayee explained. However, Bajpayee remains open to the possibility of Kashyap reviving the project in the future.

Inspector Zende, which sees Bajpayee in the role of a determined police officer, is currently streaming on Netflix. The film is loosely inspired by true events and follows the unbelievable pursuit of a cop tracking down the elusive "Swimsuit Killer".