The series, directed by Anubhav Sinha, premiered on Netflix on August 29. | Image: Twitter
A PIL seeking a ban on the OTT series ‘IC-814: The Kandahar Hijacking’ for allegedly not revealing the real identities of the kidnappers was withdrawn from the Delhi High Court on Friday.
The petitioner’s lawyer Surjit Singh Yadav said that since Netflix had issued a disclaimer listing the “names of terrorists” in the series depicting the hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight in 1999 by Pakistan-based terrorist group Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, he did not wish to press his plea.
“The counsel for the petitioner submitted that in view of the disclaimer inserted by the respondents, he does not wish to press the present appeal,” a bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said.
Dismissing the petition, Justice Manmohan said that for “completeness”, the makers might consider having another episode in the court proceedings in connection with the incident.
“There is a judgment from the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The full picture will be known soon,” he said.
The petitioner’s lawyer said his grievance was that the film did not reveal the real names of the kidnappers and anyone watching it would believe that their real names were “Bhola” and “Shankar”, both names of Lord Shiva.
The petitioner alleged that the “erroneous” description of the actual kidnappers hurt the sentiments of the Hindu community.
Yadav, a farmer and president of the Hindu Sena, has therefore sought an order from the central and Maharashtra governments to cancel the certificate of the Central Board of Film Certification and ban public screening of the series.
“The distortion of crucial facts about the real identities of the hijackers not only misrepresents historical events but also perpetuates harmful stereotypes and misinformation, justifying this court’s interference to prevent further public misunderstanding and potential harm,” the statement said.
Following a controversy over the depiction of the kidnappers’ “code names,” Netflix updated the series’ opening disclaimer earlier this week.
The move came after the central government summoned the OTT platform’s content chief seeking an explanation over the allegedly controversial aspects of the OTT series.
The series, directed by Anubhav Sinha, premiered on Netflix on August 29.
It is inspired by true events, including an adaptation of the book titled ‘Flight Into Fear’ written by Captain Devi Sharan and Srinjoy Chowdhury.
(Only the headline and image of this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
First published: September 6, 2024 | 16:27 IS
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