Why Has The Netflix Series ‘IC 814’ Landed In Controversy? | Explained

Director Anubhav Sinha’s ‘IC 814’, which premiered on Netflix on August 29, has landed in a major controversy within days of its release. A section of social media users have alleged that the makers of the show, based on the Kandahar hijacking incident of 1999, changed the names of two hijackers to “deliberately manipulate facts”.

What’s the ‘IC 814’ Controversy About?

‘IC 814’, Netflix’s latest web series, has landed in a major controversy within days of premiering on the streaming platform. Its story is based on an actual event where Indian Airlines Flight 814, en route from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, to Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, was hijacked. The aircraft forced to make several stops before eventually landing in Kandahar, Afghanistan, which was under Taliban rule at the time.

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On the show, the hijackers are referred to as Chief, Doctor, Burger, Bhola, and Shankar. Netizens are upset about the fact that the makers chose the names Bhola and Shankar for the two hijackers rather than their actual names.

Interestingly, as per a statement by the Union Home Ministry on January 6, 2000, the real names of the hijackers were: Ibrahim Athar, Shahid Akhtar Sayed, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Mistri Zahoor Ibrahim, and Shakir.

However, going by the accounts of passengers as mentioned by India Todays, they referred to each other by the codenames Chief, Doctor, Burger, Bhola, and Shankar.

About IC 814

IC 814 is thriller series that revolves around the Kandahar hijacking incident of 1999. It is directed by Anubhav Sinha, best known for his work on ‘Ra One’ and ‘Mulk’. The series’ screenplay is written by Adrian Levy and Trishant Srivastava. IC 814 is headlined by Vijay Varma, Pankaj Kapur, Naseeruddin Shah, Sushant Singh, Yashpal Sharma, Dia Mirza, and Arvind Swamy.

The series premiered on Netflix on August 29 and is currently available to stream on the platform.

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