Streaming platform Netflix has updated the opening credits of the web series ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’. There has been a controversy over the portrayal of terrorists in this web series. The updated credits will now include the real names of the two hijackers, whose ‘Hindu’ codename was sharply criticized.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Monica Shergill, vice president (content), Netflix, said, “For the benefit of viewers unfamiliar with the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814 in 1999, the initial disclaimer has been updated to include the real and code names of the hijackers. The code names in the series reflect the names used during the actual incident.”
Shergill said that apart from the disclaimer, no other edits have been made to the series. Shergill said that the platform is completely dedicated to representing authenticity in their stories. “India has a rich culture of storytelling and we are committed to showcasing these stories and their authentic representation,” she said. The statement came hours after her meeting with officials of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, in which she clarified her stand on the entire issue.
Directed by Anubhav Sinha, ‘IC 814’ is a dramatic story of the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 in 1999. Five terrorists hijacked the Delhi-bound flight from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal.
The crisis lasted for seven days, after which the then BJP-led government finally gave in to the demands and released the three high-profile terrorists. A section of viewers accused the makers of allegedly ‘whitewashing terrorism’ by not revealing the real names of the terrorists. The terrorists in the show are addressed as ‘Chief’, ‘Doctor’, ‘Shankar’, ‘Bhola’ and ‘Burger’, which were their codenames for the hijacking operation.
According to government records, their real names were Ibrahim Athar, Shahid Akhtar Saeed, Sunny Ahmad Qazi, Zahoor Mistry and Shakir. All of them were members of Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HUM). Many people on social media started trending the hashtag #BoycottNetflix, alleging that ‘IC 814’ attempts to humiliate the Hindu community by presenting terrorists as Hindus.
‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’ stars Naseeruddin Shah, Vijay Varma, Dia Mirza, Pankaj Kapur, Amrita Puri, Manoj Pahwa, Patralekhaa, Kumud Mishra, Aditya Srivastava and Arvind Swami among others. The series continues to stream on Netflix.