IC 814 The Kandahar Hijack Director Anubhav Sinha On Controversy: Wouldn’t Have Taken This On...

IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack has sparked several controversies ever since its release, including claims of whitewashing the terrorists’ religion and factual inaccuracies. The mini-series consist of 6 episodes premiered on Netflix on 29 August and is directed by Anubhav Sinha. The series is based on the 1999 hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight by terrorists.

Despite the allegations on social media and a summoning of the streaming platform Netflix India chief from the Ministry, everyone involved has consistently denied them, with Anubhav Sinha recently echoing similar views in an interview with Mukesh Chhabra.

It's confusing: Anubhav Sinha reacted to the controversy

In a recent interview, filmmaker Anubhav Sinha discussed the controversy surrounding his Netflix series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. He was asked about his reaction when some viewers showed anger for using code names like Bhola and Shankar for the terrorists behind the 1999 hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight, instead of their real names while receiving praise at the start.

He acknowledged the criticism but also pointed out the positive feedback. He said, "It's confusing. Ek taraf mohabbat hai, aur ek taraf gobar hai (On one side there is a lot of love, and on the other, there is crap)."

When asked if he felt responsible for the negative reactions, Sinha replied, "No, I don't take myself that seriously. I just want to do my job with absolute sincerity and hard work. I wouldn’t have taken this on had I not been in love with the story. I loved it, that's why I did it. All that remains is hard work, and the rest is up to the universe. The universe is both destructive and constructive."

IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack Controversy

The controversy began with accusations of "whitewashing" the events surrounding the hijacking and of using Hindu names for the terrorists in the series. After a meeting with the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, Netflix agreed to update the series’ disclaimer to include the real names of the hijackers, addressing the concerns about factual misrepresentation.

The series is based on Flight Into Fear, a book by Captain Devi Sharan and Srinjoy Chowdhury. It covers the crisis from various perspectives, including negotiations in Delhi’s War Room, diplomatic efforts in Kandahar, and the passengers and crew’s ordeal.