IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack: Netflix content head summoned by Ministry of I&B over contentious aspects of the web series

After Vijay Varma starrer IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack earned critical praise from critics and audience alike, the web series has become the centre of controversy after a section of media users accused the makers of the web series, of deliberately changing the names of the hijackers to ‘Bhola’ and ‘Shankar.’ In response to these accusations, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has summoned the Netflix content head Monika Shergill to explain about the contentious aspects of the web series. 

IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack controversy

IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack tells the real-life story of how five hijackers- Chief, Doctor, Burger, Bhola and Shankar hijacked the IC 814 plane in Kathmandu, Nepal in 1999. The makers claimed that the film is based on investigation reports and the book, Flight into Fear: The Captain’s story’ written by Srinjoy Chowdhury and the captain of the flight, Devi Sharan. Some social media users found the names of these hijackers insensitive and misrepresentation of the truth and claimed that the show should have highlighted the fact that the hijackers were five Muslim terrorists and that two of them used Hindu aliases. 

Adding to the fuel was BJP’s Amit Malviya who questioned the makers intentions of not mentioning the names of the hijackers anywhere in the series. "Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha, legitimised their criminal intent, by furthering their non-Muslim names. Decades later, people will think Hindus hijacked IC-81," the politician tweeted. 

On the other hand, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah compared how people took films like The Kashmir Files and took them as gospel truths but want accuracy and nuance packaged in the script in a film like IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. 

Responding to these accusations, casting director Mukesh Chhabra clarifying that 'Bhola’ and ‘Shankar’ were just code names. 

About IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack

Directed by Anubhav Sinha, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack starring Vijay Varma, Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Manoj Pahwa, Arvind Swami, Anupam Tripathi, Dia Mirza, Patralekhaa, Amrita Puri, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, and Kumud Mishra was released on Netflix on August 29.