Netflix’s new web series, ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack,’ directed by Anubhav Sinha, has found itself amid a storm of controversy shortly after its release. The six-episode series, portraying the infamous hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight in 1999, has drawn backlash for its portrayal of the hijackers’ identities. This dispute escalated significantly, leading to a summons from the Information & Broadcasting Ministry to Monika Shergill, head of content at Netflix.
The criticism centers around the decision to name two of the five hijackers as Bhola and Shankar in the series. This creative choice has sparked outrage among social media users and led to the filing of a public interest litigation by Hindu Sena’s president in the Delhi High Court. The petition argues that the series distorts the religious identities of the hijackers and calls for the revocation of its certification.
On December 24, 1999, flight IC-814 was hijacked shortly after its takeoff from Kathmandu en route to Delhi. The plane, an Airbus 300, was diverted to multiple locations, including Amritsar, Lahore, and Dubai, before ultimately landing in Kandahar, Afghanistan, then under Taliban control. The six-day hijacking ended with the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government agreeing to release three terrorists — Masood Azhar, Omar Saeed Sheikh, and Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar — in exchange for the passengers and crew’s safety.
The series, inspired partly by ‘Flight To Fear,’ a first-hand account by Captain Devi Sharan, the pilot during the crisis, includes a disclaimer stating it is a work of fiction against a backdrop of real-life events. Despite this, the use of names Bhola and Shankar for two of the hijackers is seen as problematic by those critical of the series.
The contention arises from the series not explicitly explaining that these names were aliases and referring to them as codenames seen as common knowledge. Several journalistic sources and a Union Home Ministry press release from January 6, 2000, had clarified that the hijackers had used codenames during the incident.
. The press release identified the hijackers as Ibrahim Athar, Shahid Akhtar Sayeed, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Mistri Zahoor Ibrahim, and Shakir, revealing that their aliases were Chief, Doctor, Burger, Bhola, and Shankar.
Critics argue that representing Bhola and Shankar as major characters while keeping their identities as aliases ambiguous could distort historical facts. As public memory of the incident fades, there is concern that younger audiences might misinterpret these portrayals. BJP leader Amit Malviya expressed his concerns on X, stating, “The hijackers of IC-814 were dreaded terrorists, who acquired aliases to hide their Muslim identities. Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha legitimized their criminal intent by furthering their non-Muslim names. Result? Decades later, people will think Hindus hijacked IC-814.”
In the series, the hijacker referred to as Chief is unmasked when negotiations reach a critical point, revealing him to be Masood Azhar’s brother. Journalist Neelesh Misra, who wrote a book on the subject, corroborated this portrayal on X. However, the code names Bhola and Shankar are only mentioned once each across the six episodes, indicating these characters are minor players within the narrative.
The controversy underscores broader debates about creative liberties in dramatizations of historical events and the obligation of filmmakers to preserve factual integrity. The fallout has raised questions about how historical dramas and series should handle sensitive real-life incidents, and what responsibilities they bear in shaping collective memory and understanding.
This episode adds to the ongoing conversation around the portrayal of real-life events in popular media, highlighting the fine line creators must tread between narrative creativity and historical accuracy. The outcome of the public interest litigation could set a significant precedent for future productions, especially those dealing with contentious historical subjects.
