The makers of Vijay Varma's IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack has added real names of Pakistani hijackers in the show amid massive backlash. An opening disclaimer has been added with all five original names of the terrorists by Netflix. A screenshot of the same has surfaced on social media platforms.
Netflix adds disclaimer
Along with their names, the disclaimer also mentioned, "This series is a work of fiction which is set against the backdrop of certain real-life events. The characters, places, names and events in this series have been creatively conceptualised for the purpose of dramatisation."
It further read, "Certain cinematic liberties have been taken to dramatise historical events however the series does not make any claims of authenticity or historical correctness of any events, incidents depicted in the series. This series features children, and the makers have taken due care to provide a safe environment for children during the course of filming."
During the hijacking of IC 814, the terrorists used aliases or code names such as 'Burger', 'Doctor', 'Chief, 'Bhola' and 'Shankar'. As per historical record, the names of the terrorists were - Ibrahim Athar (alias Chief), Shahid Akhtar Sayed (alias Doctor), Sunny Ahmed Qazi (alias Burger), Mistri Zahoor Ibrahim (alias Bhola) and Shakir (alias Shankar).
While the makers had used the codenames of the hijackers in the show, critics felt that the makers should have clarified that in the web series.
On September 3, Netflix Content Head Monica Shergill mentioned in an official statement, "For the benefit of audiences unfamiliar with the 1999 hijacking of the 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 story-telling and we are committed to showcasing these stories and their authentic representation."
Soon after the web series released on August 29, netizens protested against the Hindu code names given to the characters of the hijackers.
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.
