One of the most under rated Indian movies was Sarfarosh. In a moonshot debut John Mathew Mathan built a tense thriller that was realistic in its depiction of armed officers and their ways of investigation. By 1999, India was spending millions to counter splinter insurgency in many states apart from what it was facing in Kashmir . Splinter insurgency movements dotted the country ranging from Andhra Pradesh , Orissa to North Eastern states. This was the enemy within , and the ISI were abetting them through an agent network who were capitalizing on profitable trade by
the smuggling of arms into India for insurgent groups spread across India.
The movie was timely. It also had amazing characters especially Akhilendra Yakoo Mishra as Mirchi Seth, Mukesh Rishi in a non villainous role as a Muslim cop Inspector Saleem and above all Naseerudin Shah as the singer Gulfam Hassan. It was entertaining especially the Sonali Bendre rain song. Aamir Khan played ACP Singh Rathod with such amazing seriousness despite his small frame giving the movie intensity and zeal at the same time.
Moreover the movie played the angle of the 'proxy war' waged by ISI really well again showing how vulnerable we are. It raised the right questions on why culture exchanges should be even happen with our enemy in a subtle manner.
However the last scene is the telling reminder of how deep the wounds are and how this proxy war keeps getting refueled in every economic cycle. Spoiler alert if you have not seen the movie. The singer played by Gulfam is also an ISI agent and he reveals why he is doing it. This is the same dialogue that Abu Nasser says in Homeland episode in Season 2. It always starts with a wound, either its partition or Kashmir or creation of Israel but its a vow to have an impact across generations. It needs smart Sarfaroshi to counter it.
the smuggling of arms into India for insurgent groups spread across India.
The movie was timely. It also had amazing characters especially Akhilendra Yakoo Mishra as Mirchi Seth, Mukesh Rishi in a non villainous role as a Muslim cop Inspector Saleem and above all Naseerudin Shah as the singer Gulfam Hassan. It was entertaining especially the Sonali Bendre rain song. Aamir Khan played ACP Singh Rathod with such amazing seriousness despite his small frame giving the movie intensity and zeal at the same time.
Moreover the movie played the angle of the 'proxy war' waged by ISI really well again showing how vulnerable we are. It raised the right questions on why culture exchanges should be even happen with our enemy in a subtle manner.
However the last scene is the telling reminder of how deep the wounds are and how this proxy war keeps getting refueled in every economic cycle. Spoiler alert if you have not seen the movie. The singer played by Gulfam is also an ISI agent and he reveals why he is doing it. This is the same dialogue that Abu Nasser says in Homeland episode in Season 2. It always starts with a wound, either its partition or Kashmir or creation of Israel but its a vow to have an impact across generations. It needs smart Sarfaroshi to counter it.
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