‘IC 814’ series row: Netflix updates disclaimer to include real names of terrorists after meeting with I&B Secretary

Responding to the Union government’s concerns, Netflix India has agreed to update the opening disclaimer of IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, a fictional six-part series based on the 1999 hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane, to include the real names of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen hijackers. The change will be displayed on Wednesday, after Information and Broadcasting Secretary Sanjay Jaju summoned Netflix content head Monika Shergill on Tuesday to share concerns about the depiction of the Pakistani terrorists.

Also read:Row over names of hijackers in Netflix series ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’ | Explained 

It is learnt that Ms. Shergill assured the government that the streaming platform would take corrective measures after she was apprised of concerns about the series’ narrative and characterisation of the perpetrators during a 30-minute meeting.

‘Sympathetic light’

Two specific issues were raised, government sources told The Hindu. “One was that there was no disclosure on the part of the makers of the series and the platform on the real names of the hijackers. The names ‘Bhola’ and ‘Shankar’ were aliases used by the hijackers,” a senior official said. “Secondly, we also said that while the hijackers and terrorists were shown in a sympathetic light and as firm in their negotiations with the Indian government, officials were shown as dithering without real information, which wasn’t an accurate portrayal. It amounted to whitewashing the role of Pakistan-backed hijackers,” the official added.

Ms. Shergill responded, according to sources, by saying that the filmmakers had based the series on Flight Into Fear, a book about the hijack co-authored by Captain Devi Sharan and Srinjoy Chowdhury, and had been remiss in not putting out the relevant disclosures. She assured officials that Netflix would be mindful of such things in the future.

In a statement to the media, Ms. Shergill later 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.”

Book adaptation

The series, which features actors such as Pankaj Kapur, Naseeruddin Shah, Arvind Swamy, Dia Mirza, Vijay Varma, and Patralekhaa, is “inspired” by real events including an adaptation of the book.

Soon after the series was released on August 29, it triggered a row over the manner in which the terrorists were shown and several details “misrepresented”. The real names of the hijackers, all residents of Pakistan, were Ibrahim Athar, Shahid Akhtar Sayed, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Mistri Zahoor Ibrahim, and Shakir. In the series, they are only referred to as “Chief”, “Doctor”, “Burger”, “Bhola”, and “Shankar”, the pseudonyms they used for each other during the hijack. These “aliases” had also been mentioned in the then-Union Home Minister L.K. Avani’s official statement on January 6, 2000.

Fictionalised details

Some social media users alleged that, although the filmmakers used some real footage of the incident, the six-part series had many fictionalised details. Taking cognisance, the I&B Ministry had then summoned the Netflix India content head, demanding an explanation in the matter.

On December 24, 1999, the Indian Airlines IC 814 flight carrying 179 passengers and 11 crew members was on its way from Kathmandu to Delhi when it was hijacked by the five terrorists. The flight was taken to Kandahar in Afghanistan (then under Taliban rule) via Amritsar, Lahore, and Dubai, where 27 passengers were released and the dead body of one passenger was handed over.

The remaining passengers and the crew were eventually let off a week later, after the Indian government released three terrorists: Jaish-e-Mohammed founder Masood Azhar, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar.

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