Hyderabad: Netflix's content head has been summoned by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting on Monday in Delhi due to online backlash regarding the streaming service's show titled IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, as per the latest reports. This series dramatises the infamous hijacking incident that involved Indian Airlines Flight 814 in 1999 and has generated considerable controversy on social media platforms. Critics are unhappy because they claim that the series has changed the names of the two hijackers to Hindu.
Netflix Content Head has been summoned tomorrow by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting over the 'IC814' web series content row: Sources
— ANI (@ANI) September 2, 2024
The narrative of IC 814 portrays the distressing ordeal faced by several passengers whose flight was redirected to different locations, ultimately landing in Kandahar, Afghanistan, which at the time was under Taliban control. Within the series, the hijackers are referred to by codenames such as Chief, Doctor, Burger, Bhola, and Shankar. Nonetheless, the choice of the names Bhola and Shankar has led to a backlash, with some suggesting that this choice was a deliberate attempt by the makers to highlight Hindu identities, thus misinterpreting historical truths and possibly fuelling religious discord.
This has sparked controversy online, with netizens aiming at the series' director Anubhav Sinha, who faces accusations of manipulating facts. The series is an adaptation of the book Flight into Fear: The Captain's Story, penned by journalist Srinjoy Chowdhury and the captain of the hijacked flight, Devi Sharan. IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack features Vijay Varma, Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, and others, in key roles.
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