IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, Netflix’s new series, is causing a stir. Based on the 1999 hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight, the show is being slammed for changing facts, downplaying terrorism and upsetting people. The Information and Broadcasting (I&B) ministry has summoned Netflix representatives to explain why the series should not be taken off air. The controversy started right after the series came out, with many viewers on social media accusing the show of twisting the story. The biggest issue is how the hijackers are portrayed with names like “Shankar” and “Bhola,” which some believe hides their true identities and connections to extremist groups.
Anubhav Sinha, however, had, not long back, opened up about the meticulous research that went into the making of the series. In a chat with Variety, he had said, “When I got in, I thought I knew everything about it. But when the research started, and we had Adrian (Levy) on board, it started opening up, not only within India but in Afghanistan, in Pakistan, in Washington and everywhere. Then I realised that I didn’t know anything about it. That became the driving force to dive in deeper and deeper.”
Not just the story but also the visual elements were planned to the T, Anubhav Sinha had revealed. “Ewan [Mulligan, the cinematographer alongside Ravi Kiran Ayyagari] asked me a very important question. He said, ‘Anubhav, are we recreating what happened?’ I said, ‘No, the event is happening again. We are sending our cameras and crew back there in time.’”
The Kandahar flight hijack refers to a dramatic incident that took place in December 1999, when Indian Airlines Flight 814 was hijacked by a group of militants. The aircraft, en route from Kathmandu to Delhi, was diverted to Kandahar in Afghanistan after being taken over by the hijackers. The standoff lasted for several days, during which intense negotiations and complex diplomatic maneuvers unfolded.
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