Why Netflix’s 'IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack' is Under Fire- All You Need to Know

Netflix's new series IC 814, directed by Anubhav Sinha and starring actors like Vijay Varma, Naseeruddin Shah and Pankaj Kapur, has sparked controversy among netizens. The show, which began streaming on August 29, is based on the 1999 hijacking of an Indian airplane by five terrorists shortly after it took off from Kathmandu on December 24, 1999. Critics have raised concerns around how the series portrays the events and the way it handles the identities of the terrorists.

Since the launch of IC 814, hashtags such as #BoycottBollywood and #IC814TheKandaharHijack have been trending on X (formerly Twitter). This controversy follows a similar backlash faced by Netflix a few months back, during the release of Maharaj. The movie was criticised for hurting sentiments and stirring tensions.

Soon after the controversy erupted, BJP leader Amit Malviya took to X, accusing the director of whitewashing the crimes of Pakistani terrorists. "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," Malviya said.

Here is all you need to know about the IC 814 controversy-

What was the IC-814 Hijack?

An Indian Airlines flight IC 814, en route from Kathmandu to New Delhi, was hijacked by five terrorists from the Pakistan-based group Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. The Netflix series IC 814 has faced backlash for its portrayal of the hijackers, who are depicted with the names "Bhola" and "Shankar."

The use of these names has sparked controversy, with critics arguing that the series should have made it clear that the hijackers were Muslim terrorists who used Hindu names.

During the incident, Captain Devi Sharan (the then-pilot) was forced to divert the plane multiple times. Initially, the aircraft was flown to Lahore. As the situation escalated and the plane began running low on fuel, the Indian government had to allow an emergency landing in Amritsar.

The plane was carrying more than 150 people who witnessed the horror for nearly a week. The hijacking was executed by Ibrahim Athar, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Zahoor Ibrahim, Shahid Akhter and Sayed Shakir, who demanded the release of Pakistani terrorists imprisoned in India.

The Broadcasting Ministry's summon

Keeping in view the recent controversy surrounding the Netflix series, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has summoned Netflix's Content Head for September 3, Tuesday.

Many politicians have already criticised the OTT platform for its biased content. Actress Kangana Ranuat also raised concerns about the biased form of censorship prevailing in the streaming space. "There is all the freedom for communists or leftists across the world for such anti national expressions but as a nationalist no OTT platform allows us to make films that revolves around the integrity and unity of Bharat, she stated in a social media post.