IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack releases on Netflix on August 29
Controversy has erupted over Netflix’s recent series ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’ ever since it was streamed on the OTT platform. The makers of the web series starring Vijay Verma, Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Tripathi, Dia Mirza, Arvind Swami and Patralekha are accused of tampering with the names and facts of the terrorists in the series. The makers are also accused of trying to show the terrorists as human in the series. The series was made available for streaming on Netflix on August 29, in which the controversy heated up badly when the terrorists were named Bhola and Shankar.
Monika Shergill appeared before the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
Amidst this growing uproar, on Monday, the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting issued a summons to the head of Netflix India and asked him to appear. After which Netflix India head Monica Shergill appeared before the ministry and took a big decision on this whole matter. Netflix India is ready to make changes in “IC814: The Kandahar Hijack”.
This big change was made in the series
Netflix India has said that due to the uproar over the code names of the terrorists, a disclaimer will now be given at the beginning of the series. Monica Shergill, Vice President of Content at Netflix India, said, “For viewers unfamiliar with the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814 in 1999, the series has been updated to include the real and code names of the hijackers along with the opening disclaimer.”
What did the head of Netflix India say?
He further said in his statement- “The code names in the series reflect the codes used during the actual incident. India has a rich culture of storytelling – and we are committed to showcasing these stories and their authentic representation”. Shergill’s statement came after her meeting with Information and Broadcasting Secretary Sanjay Jaju in Delhi.
There was a ruckus over Hindu code names
Let us tell you, on Monday, Netflix India was summoned by the ministry over various issues including the Hindu code names used by the hijackers in the series and humanizing some of them. Directed by Anubhav Sinha and adorned with great actors like Vijay Verma, Patralekha, Pankaj Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, Arvind Swami, Dia Mirza, this series is based on the true story of the hijack of December 1999.