Naseeruddin Shah recalls fearing that Kandahar hijack would provoke another wave of Islamophobia

Naseeruddin Shah

Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah, who plays the role of Cabinet Secretary Vinay Kaul, IAS, based on Prabhat Kumar, in the web series ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack', recalled the atmosphere around him in 1999 when the incident took place. He also likened working with seasoned actors in the Anubhav Sinha directorial to 'being in heaven'.

Naseeruddin Shah feared the 1999 hijack would lead to another wave of Islamophobia

During an interaction with the media, Naseeruddin Shah said, "I remember being extremely disturbed because I feared that it would provoke another wave of Islamophobia. And luckily at that time, it didn't. But I remember feeling terribly concerned about the situation and what it would lead to. There was a feeling of ambivalence at the end when the whole crisis was resolved."

He added, "Because I was left in the feeling of unease, the deal was struck, I could not pinpoint why I feel this. But I did feel that the passengers and the pilot had been through an absolutely horrifying time. And this was no closure. This is what I remember feeling."

Naseeruddin Shah on his role in ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack'

The actor shared, "I've never been in a crisis management role. But what appealed to me was the thought of playing with all these wonderful actors. It just seemed like being in heaven to be with seven, or eight actors who you love and admire. I can't think of a happier situation than that."

Vijay Varma. Arvind 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 a part of the show.

Netflix updates opening disclaimer of ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack' amid controversy

Amid the ongoing controversy over the names of terrorists, Netflix India's content head Monika Shergill met Information and Broadcasting Secretary Sanjay Jaju in New Delhi after being summoned. The OTT platform official was apprised of the sentiments expressed by a large section of society and the need to be sensitive while handling such topics.

In a statement released to the media, Monika 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 code names in the series reflect those used during the actual event. India has a rich culture of storytelling - and we are committed to showcasing these stories and their authentic representation."

About ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack'

IC-814 was hijacked by five terrorists on December 24, 1999, 40 minutes after it took off from Kathmandu. The aircraft carrying about 180 passengers remained hostage for seven days and flew from Kathmandu to Amritsar and then to Lahore. It was re-fuelled in Lahore and left for Dubai. From Dubai, it went to Taliban-controlled Kandahar, where all the passengers were released on December 31, 2000. It is adapted from the book "Flight Into Fear" by Captain Devi Sharan and Srinjoy Chowdhury.