The content head of Netflix India, Monika Shergill, has been summoned by the Indian government in response to the growing controversy surrounding the web series IC 814 – The Kandahar Hijack. The series, which focuses on the 1999 hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight by Pakistan-based terrorist group Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, has faced significant backlash on social media. Critics have accused the creators of the show, Anubhav Sinha and Trishant Srivastava, of intentionally altering the names of the hijackers to “Bhola” and “Shankar,” names that are typically associated with Hindu deities, which has sparked outrage.
The series is based on the book Flight Into Fear: The Captain’s Story by Devi Sharan, who was the captain of the hijacked flight, and journalist Srinjoy Chowdhury. It features prominent actors like Naseeruddin Shah, Vijay Varma, and Pankaj Kapur. The story recounts the dramatic events of December 24, 1999, when Indian Airlines flight 814, carrying 191 passengers, was hijacked shortly after taking off from Kathmandu, Nepal, en route to Delhi. The hijackers forced the plane to land at multiple locations, including Amritsar, Lahore, and Dubai, before it was finally taken to Kandahar, Afghanistan.
The controversy centers on the depiction of the hijackers’ names in the series. While the original hijackers were identified as Ibrahim Athar, Shahid Akhtar Sayed, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Mistri Zahoor Ibrahim, and Shakir by a Union Home Ministry statement dated January 6, 2000, the series has reportedly used the names “Bhola” and “Shankar,” which has led to accusations of communal insensitivity. However, it is important to note that these names were reportedly used by the hijackers themselves to address each other during the hijacking, as per accounts from the passengers and journalists who covered the incident.
The Indian government’s intervention, summoning Netflix India’s Monika Shergill, suggests that the matter is being taken seriously, given the sensitive nature of the historical event and the public’s reaction. The controversy highlights the challenges and responsibilities faced by content creators in portraying real-life events, especially those with significant historical and emotional weight.
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