India's first film that started naming 'Pakistan and ISI' in dialogues, earlier censor board didn't allow it, movie is…, lead actors are..

The 1999 action drama Sarfarosh was considered one of the finest films of that year. The Aamir Khan, Sonali Bendre-starrer has themes of patriotism, national integration, and the valour of an IPS officer fighting cross-border terrorism. The movie also stars Naseeruddin Shah as Gulfam Haasan, the main antogonist. 

Aamir Khan recently appeared on Aap Ki Adalat. In this episode, he was asked the reason for tweeting about Operation Sindoor late. The host asked Khan if he fears calling out Pakistan in the open. Aamir gave his justification and then revealed that his movie Sarfarosh was the first film to call out Pakistan and its intelligence agency, ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence). Before Sarfarosh, the censor board didn't allow filmmakers to use Pakistan or ISI in dialogues. Earlier, movies addressed Pakistan as 'padosi mulk'. This clip from the show went viral. 

pic.twitter.com/CjO0o7tL9z

— Rajkumar Harami (@ItsAnup_) June 14, 2025

It's true that before Sarfarosh, Pakistan was addressed as 'padosi mulk' in films. In Dharmendra's Aankhen, Pakistan was called 'padosi mulk' or 'dushman desh'. However, Sarfarosh wasn't the first film to name the neighbouring country. It was 1997's Border, which is based on the 1971 Indo-Pak Battle of Longewala.

Directed by John Mathew Mathan, Sarfarosh was released in cinemas on April 30, 1999. Made in Rs 8 crores, the film went on to earn Rs 33 crores along with widespread critical acclaim. 

Sarfarosh's success inspired two remakes- Sathyameva Jayathe in Kannada and Astram in Telugu. In May 2024, on the film's 25th anniversary, team Sarfarosh, including Aamir and John, expressed their wish to make a sequel of the film. Sarfarosh 2 is on the cards.