Why has Netflix’s ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’ sparked Outrage?

Netflix’s IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack has caused controversy in India since its release on August 29, 2024.

Directed by Anubhav Sinha, the series is based on the book Flight Into Fear: The Captain’s Story.

It recounts the events surrounding the hijacking of a Kathmandu-Delhi flight which was taken to Taliban-ruled Kandahar to demand the release of militants jailed in India.

IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack focuses on the conversations between the hijackers, the crew and the passengers while Indian government officials work to resolve the crisis.

Outrage was sparked by viewers on social media over the hijackers’ names in the show.

In the show, the hijackers call each other names such as Bhola and Shankar.

In reality, the hijackers were named Ibrahim Athar, Shahid Akhtar Sayed, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Mistri Zahoor Ibrahim and Shakir. All of them were from Pakistan.

On X, BJP leader Amit Malviya stated that by using the hijackers’ “non-Muslim” aliases in the series, the filmmakers had ensured that people would “think Hindus hijacked IC-814”.

A Hindu right-wing organisation filed a case seeking a ban on the series.

Reportedly, the petition accused the makers of distorting crucial facts and misrepresenting historical events.

Many have also defended IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, saying it is factually accurate.

In 2000, a statement issued by the Home Ministry confirmed that the hijackers used such names to communicate inside and outside the aircraft.

The statement said: “To the passengers of the hijacked place these hijackers came to be known respectively as (1) Chief, (2) Doctor, (3) Berger, (4) Bhola, and (5) Shankar, the names by which the hijackers invariably addressed one another.”

Witnesses and journalists have also corroborated this.

Kollattu Ravikumar, a survivor of the hijacking, confirmed the aliases.

He said: “The four hijackers who were watching over us also had a leader called Berger. It was Berger who used to often shout.

“As Berger called them, I caught the names of the others – Bhola, Shankar and Doctor.”

Following the controversy, Netflix issued a statement saying it had updated the disclaimer which appears on screen before the episodes begin.

It said: “For the benefit of audiences unfamiliar with the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814, the opening disclaimer has been updated to include the real and code names of the hijackers.”

The eight-day hijack ended after a deal was reached between the Indian government and the hijackers, with India releasing three militants, including Masood Azhar, in exchange for the passengers.

India has blamed Azhar, who founded the Jaish-e-Mohammad group after his release, for several attacks in the country.

The decision to release Azhar and others is a controversial one, with the opposition often criticising the governing BJP, which was also in power in 1999, for the move.

Watch the Trailer for IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack