IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack: All You Need To Know About The Ongoing Controversy

A significant controversy has emerged in the Indian streaming industry following the debut of Netflix’s series, 'IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack,' on August 29, 2024. Monika Shergill, the content chief for Netflix India, was summoned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to address concerns regarding the portrayal of hijackers in the series. The Ministry requested Shergill to clarify the aspects of the show that have raised controversy, according to a report by NDTV. Below, we outline the details of the controversy.

‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’

On December 24, 1999, Indian Airlines Flight IC 814 was seized by hijackers. The aircraft, which had 154 passengers and crew on board, was taken over by five terrorists just 40 minutes after departing from Kathmandu, Nepal, on its way to Delhi. The hijackers, who were affiliated with the Pakistan-based militant group Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HuM), rerouted the plane to Kandahar, Afghanistan, which the Taliban then controlled.

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The standoff continued for eight days, during which the terrorists demanded the release of three prominent terrorists: Maulana Masood Azhar, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar. Faced with intense pressure to ensure the safety of the hostages, the Indian government agreed to the terrorists' demands. Jaswant Singh, who was the External Affairs Minister at the time, personally transported the militants to Kandahar, a decision that remains contentious to this day.

‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’ Controversy Explained

The Netflix thriller series is adapted from the book ‘Flight Into Fear’ by Captain Devi Sharan and Srinjoy Chowdhury, which provides a firsthand account of the hijacking incident. The show dramatises the events, featuring a notable cast that includes Vijay Varma, Naseeruddin Shah, and Pankaj Kapur.

The controversy emerged shortly after the series was released, with social media users criticising the filmmakers for allegedly misrepresenting the hijacking. The primary concern is the depiction of the terrorists in the series, who are named "Shankar" and "Bhola." Critics argue that these names obscure the actual identities of the hijackers and their connections to Islamic extremist groups. This led to trending hashtags like #BoycottNetflix and #BoycottBollywood on X (formerly Twitter), where some users accused the creators of distorting historical facts and "glorifying terrorists."

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Amit Malviya, the IT cell head of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), wrote on his Twitter, that the portrayal of the terrorists by Sinha "legitimised their criminal motives" and was part of an agenda to white wash the crimes of Pakistani terrorists.

On the other hand, Omar Abdullah, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), remarked on his Twitter account, “really amusing to see the people who took movies like Kashmir Files as the gospel truth having a meltdown at the way the events of IC814 are depicted in the Netflix show.”

It’s really amusing to see the people who took movies like Kashmir Files as the gospel truth having a melt down at the way the events of IC814 are depicted in the Netflix show. Now suddenly they want accuracy & nuance packaged in the script.

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) September 1, 2024

Union Home Minister's Statement During The Hijack

According to the official statement released on January 6, 2000, the hijackers, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Shakir (also known as Rajesh Gopal Verma), Mistri Zahoor Ibrahim, Shahid Akhtar Sayed, and Ibrahim Athar indeed used nicknames such as 'Bhola,' 'Shankar,' 'Doctor,' and 'Burger' to refer to each other during the hijacking.

Despite the controversy surrounding it, the series has become one of the most-watched shows on Netflix since its release.

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