The new Netflix series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack has sparked a lot of controversy since its release on August 29. Directed by Anubhav Sinha, the show tells the story of the 1999 hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight, which happened just 40 minutes after the plane took off from Kathmandu.
The issue at hand is the series’ use of nicknames like ‘Shankar’ and ‘Bhola’ for the hijackers instead of their real names. Mukesh Chhabra, the casting director, has defended this choice, saying that it was based on thorough research and that the terrorists themselves used these nicknames. According to Chhabra, the goal was to handle the sensitive topic carefully while staying true to the real events.
However, many viewers on social media, especially on X (formerly Twitter), are upset about this decision. They feel that changing the names might be an attempt to obscure the true identities of the hijackers. The hashtags #BoycottNetflix, #BoycottBollywood, and #IC814 are trending, with people expressing their anger and disappointment.
One user criticized the series for allegedly “whitewashing Islamic terrorism” and pointed out the real names of the terrorists involved, including Ibrahim Akhtar, Shahid Akhtar Sayeed, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Zahoor Mistry, and Shakir. They believe these names should have been used in the show. The strong reactions show how challenging it can be to represent real-life events in media, especially when dealing with sensitive and painful subjects.
While another netizen commented, “I don’t watch such series specially when their agenda is to safe guard Islamic cult ppl and portray Hindus in bad lime light.”