IC 814 Controversy: Netflix Promises To Review Content To Align With National Sentiments In Future

Netflix India Content Head, Monika Shergill, met the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, on Tuesday (September 3) over the controversy surrounding Vijay Varma's recently-released web series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. Shergill was summoned at Shastri Bhawan in view of certain contentious issues on the web series based on the Hijacking of IC-814.

For those unversed, the series has trigged a row on social media over the depiction and codenames of the hijackers. While the hijackers were identified as Muslims, post the incident of 1999, in the show they were given Hindu names. However, it may be mentioned that 'Bhola' and 'Shankar' are their codenames. However, critics felt that the makers should have clarified that in the web series.

A few social media users also accused director Anubhav Sinha of 'distorting' facts.

Netflix's response

Amid the backlash and ongoing controversy, Netflix has promised that future content on its platform will be reviewed to align with national sentiments.

According to media reports, Netflix also stated that concerns regarding age-appropriateness and national security will be addressed and the company will provide updates on how it plans to address the concerns.

'Portrayal of events during hijacking far from truth'

On the other hand, ANI quoted government sources saying, "Nobody has the right to play with the sentiments of the people of this nation. India’s culture and civilization should always be respected. You should think before portraying something in a wrong manner. The government is taking it very seriously."

"The portrayal of events during the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC 814 from Kathmandu to Kandahar in a recent OTT series is far from the truth. The script and characterisation of actors in the series is an attempt to erase facts and replace them with fiction to normalise a crime against the nation masterminded and facilitated by Pakistan’s ISI," they added.

All you need to know about the controversy

Post the hijack incident in 1999, the five hijackers were identified as Ibrahim Athar, Shahid Akhtar Sayed, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Zahoor Mistry, and Shakir, who were members of a Pakistan-based terrorist organisation.

However, soon after the web series released on August 29, netizens protested against the Hindu code names given to the characters of the hijackers.

Additionally, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) had been filed in the Delhi High Court by Surjit Singh Yadav, Chief of Hindu Sena, seeking a ban on IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. The PIL alleged that the series distorts the actual identities of the terrorists involved in the hijacking.

The six-episode hijack-drama also features Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Vijay Varma, Arvind Swamy, Patralekhaa, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa and Dia Mirza among others.

It is based the events of December 24, 1999 when an Indian Airlines flight IC 814 enroute to Delhi from Kathmandu was hijacked after take off from the Kathmandu Tribhuvan International Airport in Nepal after it entered Indian airspace.