Entertainment Desk:

Anubhav Sinha’s latest web series, “IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack”, premiered on Netflix on August 29 and quickly became the subject of controversy. The series, which recounts the notorious 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814, has drawn criticism from some social media users who accuse the filmmaker of altering the names of two hijackers to Hindu names.

“IC 814” is based on the real-life hijacking of a flight from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, to Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. The flight was commandeered by five armed terrorists and forced to land at multiple locations before eventually reaching Kandahar, Afghanistan, then under Taliban control.

In the series, the hijackers are referred to by the codenames Chief, Doctor, Burger, Bhola, and Shankar. The use of the names Bhola and Shankar, traditionally Hindu names, sparked outrage online, with critics alleging that the series deliberately misrepresented the hijackers’ identities.

However, what’s the reality behind these claims?

According to an official statement by the Union Home Ministry on January 6, 2000, the real names of the hijackers were Ibrahim Athar from Bahawalpur, Shahid Akhtar Sayed from Gulshan Iqbal, Karachi, Sunny Ahmed Qazi from Defence Area, Karachi, Mistri Zahoor Ibrahim from Akhtar Colony, Karachi, and Shakir from Sukkur City.

During the hijacking, the passengers on board knew the hijackers by their codenames—Chief, Doctor, Burger, Bhola, and Shankar. These names were not invented for the series but were the actual codenames the hijackers used to communicate with one another during the ordeal.

“IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack” recounts one of the most harrowing episodes in India’s recent history. On December 24, 1999, five armed terrorists from the Pakistan-based militant group Harkat-ul-Mujahideen hijacked the Indian Airlines flight shortly after takeoff.

The plane was diverted multiple times, first to Amritsar, India, then to Lahore, Pakistan, and later to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In Dubai, 27 passengers were released, including a critically injured hostage who later died. Eventually, the flight landed in Kandahar, Afghanistan, under the control of the Taliban.

The hijackers issued demands that included the release of 36 militants held in Indian jails, USD 200 million, and the remains of a deceased militant. After tense negotiations involving the Indian government, the hijackers, and Taliban representatives, the Indian government agreed to release three high-profile militants: Maulana Masood Azhar, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar.

On December 31, 1999, the militants were handed over, and the remaining passengers and crew were freed. The hijackers escaped to Pakistan, further straining the already tense relations between India and Pakistan.

The Netflix series is based on “Flight into Fear: The Captain’s Story”, a book by journalist Srinjoy Chowdhury and Devi Sharan, the captain of the hijacked flight. The series features an ensemble cast, including Vijay Varma, Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Manoj Pahwa, Arvind Swami, Anupam Tripathi, Dia Mirza, Patralekhaa, Amrita Puri, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, and Kumud Mishra in key roles.