Netflix's newly released limited-web-series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack has come under the scanner of the government of India after fans are slamming the makers. The makers of IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack have been under scrutiny for allegedly distorting facts including changing names of the terrorists and showing the hijackers in a 'sympathised manner'. As a result, India's I&B Ministry has reportedly summoned Netflix India Content Head tomorrow.
On August 29, Netflix released the six-episode series titled IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, which has been directed by Anubhav Sinha and stars Vijay Varma, Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Manoj Pahwa, Arvind Swami, Anupam Tripathi, Dia Mirza, Patralekhaa, Amrita Puri, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, and Kumud Mishra in key roles.
‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’, a series based on the 1999 hijack of an Indian aircraft by five terrorists, is drawing massive criticism over social media. Multiple users have accused it of ‘whitewashing’ the events and expressed disappointment over changing the names of the terrorists.
Why is the BJP slamming the IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack series?
In the series, the five hijackers are referred to as Chief, Doctor, Burger, Bhola, and Shankar. Herein lies the problem. Many allege that the makers deliberately chose Hindu names for the hijackers rather than their actual names.
As per a report in the Swarajya, historian Hindol Sengupta called the film “pathetic” for what he sees as its glorification of terrorists. He added that the series doesn’t acknowledge the long-term impact of the terrorists released during the hijacking, diminishing the severity of the real-life events.
BJP's Amit Malviya also criticised the director and wrote on X, “The hijackers of IC-814 were dreaded terrorists who acquired aliases to hide their Muslim identities. Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha legitimised their criminal intent by furthering their non-Muslim names. Result? Decades later, people will think Hindus hijacked IC-814.”
Malviya added, “Left’s agenda to whitewash the crimes of Pakistani terrorists, all Muslims, served. This is the power of cinema, which the Communists have been using aggressively since the 1970s. Perhaps even earlier. This will not just weaken/put in question India’s security apparatus in the long run but also shift the blame away from the religious cohort, which is responsible for all the bloodshed.”
Here's how netizens are slamming Netflix series
One user asked the director of the series, Anubhav Sinha, why he used 'Shankar' and 'Bhola' as the names of two of the hijackers and wrote, ''Hello @anubhavsinha jb IC814 k sare Hijacker Muslims the toh tumne Web series me Hijacker k nam Shankar aur Bhola kyu rkha hai?(EP-4) Aur ek nam Burger. Itna darr kyu hai tujhe? Ye whitewash jo krne ki kosis ki hai usme success nhi ho payega Tu.''
Another user wrote, ''Summary: ISI wasn’t involved, Taliban are the good guys,'' slamming its makers for allegedly tempering with the true incident.
A third user also questioned the director for naming 'Shankar' and 'Bhola' for hijackers and wrote, ''Why you called the terrorist names Shankar and Bhola? @anubhavsinha.''
Truth behind the names
As the outrage grows and #BoycottIC814 becomes a trending topic on social media platforms, what is the reality behind the names of the hijackers? Were they given Hindu names in the serial?
Here’s the real story: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated on January 6, 2000, that the terrorists involved in the Kandahar hijacking were: Ibrahim Athar, Shahid Akhtar Sayed, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Mistri Zahoor Ibrahim, and Shakir.
The MEA adds that to the passengers of the hijacked place these terrorists came to be known respectively as Chief, Doctor, Burger, Bhola, and Shankar, the names by which the hijackers invariably addressed one another.
What did the maker of IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack
The outrage over the names of the Kandahar hijackers in the show prompted people associated with the serial to react. Casting director Mukesh Chhabra has defended using the codenames of the hijackers, saying they had done their research.
He wrote on X: “I am reading so many tweets about the names of the hijackers. We did the proper research. They used to call each other by those names—nicknames or fake names, whatever you want to call them. And thank you, everyone, for loving the ensemble cast. A big thank you to my team, and especially to Anubhav Sinha for trusting us and giving me the freedom to explore.”