Another character linked very closely with this drama is Ajay's new-found friend, Gulfam Hassan (Naseeruddin Shah), a ghazal singer who migrated to Pakistan after the Partition and now divides his time between the two countries.

Matthan deserves high praise for working out a taut screenplay that leaves little room for the frivolous -- barring scenes like a skimpily clad, drenched-to-the-bone Sonali Bendre dancing under a waterfall with her chest-baring ACP boyfriend, both sporting loud,co-ordinated colours. Vikas Sivaraman's cinematography and Jethu Mundul's editing enhance the film's polished look. Jatin-Lalit's score is miles ahead of their mush-mush compositions last year -- especially Jagjit Singh's `Hoshwalon ko' and `Zindagi maut na ban jaaye'.

Of the cast, Sonali Bendre's presence is purely ornamental. Mukesh Rishi, in a rare positive role, is fairly decent. Aamir Khan virtually has the entire film to himself. Obviously, he has put in a lot of sweat to pull off the part of the tough ACP -- the dormant rage over his brother's bloody death and father's paraplegic condition seething under his skin. His is a gritty act. Naseeruddin Shah, in a relatively smaller but significant role, is stupendous -- but then when has he ever come up with an indifferent performance?

And yet there's something missing. Unfortunately, Matthan doesn't come out in the open about the politics of his volatile subject. If he has a statement to make then it's not clear, nor is there adispassionate analysis of the crisis he has woven his story around. And the lone grey character in the film, Gulfam Hassan, is literally caught in no-man's land, where it is difficult to comprehend his standpoint.

While Sarfarosh leaves several questions unanswered, it still makes a neat package. A film that doesn't deserve to be missed.