Mumbai, Sep 5 : As the comedy thriller "Inspector Zende" reached the movie buffs on Netflix on Friday, filmmaker Om Raut, who has produced the drama, shared a fond memory when the real 'Inspector Zende' met Manoj Bajpayee, aka reel Inspector Zende.

Taking to his official Instagram account, Raut dropped a photo of Bajpayee and the team posing with Inspector Madhukar Zende.

Expressing his joy of being associated with the project, Raut revealed that as a kid, he had heard countless stories about Zende from his father.

"Growing up, I heard countless stories about Inspector Zende from my father. Today, I've had the privilege to produce a film on him for Netflix," he wrote on the photo-sharing app.

"A truly special moment...In this BTS, the Reel Inspector Zende meets the OG Inspector Zende. Honored to have OG Zende Sir visit our film set...He met Manoj ji and my father, and for us, it feels truly great," the director added.

Showing his gratitude to the team, Raut concluded: "Thank you Chinmay Mandlekar, Manoj Bajpayee sir, Netflix, Jay Shewakramani, and the entire cast & crew of Inspector Zende for making this journey possible."

Shedding light on his experience of being a part of "Inspector Zende", Manoj said: 'What fascinated me about Inspector Zende was that he wasn't chasing glory ' he was just doing his job, yet caught one of the most notorious criminals twice. His bravery, humour, and that unmistakable Mumbai flavour make his journey truly inspiring.'

"Meeting him felt like stepping into a storybook, with a lifetime of tales to tell. Playing him let me dive into a world that's as gritty as it is entertaining," he added.

Written and directed by Chinmay Mandlekar, the project has been produced by Jay Shewakramani and Om Raut under the banner of Northern Lights Films.

The drama stars Manoj Bajpayee as Inspector Madhukar Zende and Jim Sarbh as Carl Bhojraj - a character inspired by the infamous serial killer Charles Sobhraj, along with Sachin Khedekar, Girija Oak, Bhalchandra Kadam, Harish Dudhade, Bharat Savale, Nitin Bhajan, and Onkar Raut in pivotal roles.

/IANS