Netflix series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack had sparked controversy over its release for alleged misrepresentation and distortion of facts upon its release on August 29. The series — based on real-life hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC 814 in 1999 — uses the names “Shankar” and “Bhola” for the hijackers, which some viewers believed was an attempt to obscure the real identities of the terrorists who were affiliated to Islamic extremist groups.
Despite having released to positive reviews, the makers had to go through a backlash online and Netflix representatives were also summoned by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. Weeks later, the series’ director Anubhav Sinha, as well as the cast have reacted to the controversy.
In a recent interview with Galatta Plus, Anubhav Sinha, Dia Mirza and Vijay Varma spoke about the controversy, while the rest of the cast including Kumud Mishra, Arvind Swamy, and Manoj Pahwa nodded in agreement. When asked about what they think about the controversy around the names of the terrorists, Anubhav Sinha said, “I know what I have done and there is too much love for it. That’s enough to actually fill in my days.”
Dia Mirza took the conversation forward and added, “I think what matters is the intention. I don’t think the intention of the show is to cause any disharmony. That’s the most important thing. And that’s our truth. The second thing is that I think everything that is being questioned is verifiable, and factual. How do you debate that?”
ALSO READ | Himesh Reshammiya’s father, music director Vipin Reshammiya passes away at 87
Vijay Varma, who played the role of Captain Devi Sharan in the series, added, “I saw a remarkable role played by media in this. I think a lot of people are speaking up just for the show. And when that happens, I feel this is the biggest victory.” Dia added, “Because they can verify the information.”
Vijay continued his conversation and said, “Yeah, and people are really able to explain to the concerned parties on what actually went down. These were the names given and this was the part of the press release given by the Union Minister in January, 2000. Therefore, what we are doing right now is actually coming together and being with the show” Dia quickly added, “And celebrate our collective hard work and the man sitting here”, pointing towards Anubhav Sinha.
What sparked the controversy?
In the Anubhav Sinha debut web series, the five hijackers are referred to by code names–Chief, Doctor, Burger, Bhola, and Shankar. The latter two names sparked online outrage. Upon the controversy, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting summoned the OTT platform’s content head for India, instructing them to be mindful of religious sensitivities.
Later, the series added a disclaimer at the beginning to clarify the real names of the hijackers. According to a statement from January 6, 2000, by the Home Ministry, the code names of the hijackers were indeed same as shown in the series. The official statement is still available on the Ministry of External Affairs website.
Click for more updates and latest Bollywood news along with Entertainment updates. Also get latest news and top headlines from India and around the world at The Indian Express.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
