Anubhav SinhaThe director’s recent film, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, has sparked a huge controversy over the on-screen names of the hijackers. Some netizens have accused the hijackers of IC 814 of being given Hindu nicknames on the show. The hijackers on board the plane from Kathmandu to Delhi used nicknames to hide their real identity. But did the makers intentionally change the names of the hijackers and spread a false narrative? Here’s the truth behind the hijackers’ nicknames.
According to the creators of IC814: The Kandahar Hijack, the “six-episode series immerses you in the harrowing reality faced by passengers and crew trapped at 30,000 feet. With every moment filled with tension, the series follows a relentless team in India as they race against time, unraveling the hijackers’ sinister demands and fighting against all odds to ensure the safe return of everyone on board.” However, Sinha has courted some controversy by naming two of the terrorists in the series as ‘Bhola’ and ‘Shankar’.
Were the kidnappers really called Shankar and Bhola?
It turns out that two of the hijackers were named Bhola and Shankar. The series is inspired by the book Flight Into Fear, written by Captain Devi Sharan, who was in charge of the flight that fateful day. The pilot ensured the safety of the passengers by following the hijackers’ instructions in high-pressure situations.
Some netizens have been upset by the use of the names and accused Sinha of spreading a false narrative and termed it as an attempt to malign Hinduism. However, fact-checkers have pointed out that according to the Ministry of External Affairs website, these were the actual code names used as per accounts shared by passengers.
Why do RW trolls blame? @anubhavsinhaPlease check the MEA website for more details. 🤡 #IC814TheKandaharKidnapping image.twitter.com/E6bGZm73xP
— Mohammed Zubair (@zoo_bear) August 31, 2024
Ministry summons Netflix content manager
Amid widespread outrage over the show, the content head of OTT platform Netflix was summoned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on September 3. The names of the kidnappers have sparked a controversy on social media over the depiction of the kidnappers.
In the OTT series, the five hijackers of the Kathmandu flight are known as Chief, Doctor, Burger, Bhola and Shankar.
“I vividly remember IC-814. I was very aware of that crash and was very much involved in its follow-up. Every man and woman in India and in fact in South Asia knows that the IC-814 hijacking from Kathmandu was committed by terrorists backed by Pakistan’s ISI. Now, nobody thinks that there was any person from India who committed the hijacking. So I don’t know how people have Hindu names in that film. But I am very happy that the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Government of India have taken cognizance of this and have roped in Netflix,” BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar said.
About ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijacking’
The IC-814 was hijacked by five terrorists on December 24, 1999, 40 minutes after taking off from Kathmandu. The aircraft, carrying around 180 passengers, was held hostage for seven days and flew from Kathmandu to Amritsar and then to Lahore. It was refuelled in Lahore and left for Dubai. From Dubai, it proceeded to Taliban-controlled Kandahar where all passengers were released on December 31, 2000. It is an adaptation of the book “Flight Into Fear” by Captain Devi Sharan and Srinjoy Chowdhury.
Vijay VermaArvind Swami, Dia Mirza, Pooja Gor, Patralekhaa, Amrita Puri, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Anupam Tripathi, Kanwaljeet Singh, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Sushant Singh, Aditya Srivastava, Rajeev Thakur and Yashpal Sharma are part of the show.
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.