PIL filed in Delhi HC to ban 'IC-814: The Kandahar Hijack' for giving Hindu names to terrorists

A still from IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack

Hours after the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting summoned the content head of Netflix India amid the ongoing controversy around 'IC-814: The Kandahar Hijack' web series, it is now reported that a PIL has been filed in Delhi High Court seeking a ban on the Anubhav Sinha directorial. According to Bar and Bench, the plea by Surjit Singh Yadav says the series "distorted the actual identities" of terrorists by giving them Hindu names.

Hindu names used for terrorists in ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack'

Those who have pulled up Anubhav Sinha for the names of hijackers as ‘Bhola' and ‘Shankar' (after Lord Shiva) claim that the filmmaker is trying to defame Hinduism. However, fact-checkers have pointed out that as per the Ministry of External Affairs website, these were the code names used according to accounts shared by passengers.

I&B Ministry summons Netflix content head

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has summoned the content head of Netflix India seeking an explanation on the allegedly contentious aspects of the OTT series. The depiction of hijackers of the Indian Airlines flight from Kathmandu to Delhi has stirred controversy with a section of viewers objecting to the 'humane' projection of the perpetrators.

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.

As per the makers, the "six-episode series thrusts you into the nerve-wracking reality faced by passengers and crew trapped at 30,000 feet. With every moment steeped in tension, the series follows a relentless team in India racing against time, deciphering the hijackers' ominous demands, and fighting against the odds to ensure the safe return of everyone on board."

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.