Netflix’s recently released series IC 814 The Kandahar Hijack has been embroiled in controversy over the code names of the hijackers. The show, which is based on the 1999 Indian Airlines hijacking flight, had some code names for the hijackers like Burger, Doctor, Bhola, Shankar and Chief. Now some people have objected to the names Shankar and Bhola. After all this controversy, Netflix has now taken a big decision.
What did Netflix release in the statement?
In fact, Netflix announced that they will update the real life names of the terrorists in the disclaimer at the beginning of the series. Netflix India Vice President Monica Shergill has issued a statement which reads, for viewers unfamiliar with the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814 in 1999, the opening disclaimer has been updated to reveal the real and code names of the hijackers. The code names in the series will be the same as those used in real life. India has a rich culture of storytelling and we are committed to showcasing these stories and their authentic representation.
Why did the controversy arise?
Let us tell you that a person named Surjit Singh Yadav filed a PIL against this series directed by Anubhav Sinha for the ban of this series. In this PIL, it was alleged that the hijackers in the series have been shown with Hindi names Bhola and Shankar. He said that this was historically incorrect. Many social media users also raised their voice against it and the hashtags BoycottBollywood and BoycottNetflix started trending.
Mukesh clarified
However, casting director Mukesh Chhabra defended the series and said that his research was absolutely correct. He said, I read many tweets about the names of the hijackers. We did the correct research. They used the same nickname or fake name. Thanks to my team and especially Anubhav Sinha who trusted us.
Talking about the series, it also stars Vijay Verma, Patralekha, Dia Mirza, Rajiv Thakur, Arvind Swami, Pankaj Kapoor, Amrita Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, Manoj Pahwa, Kumad Mishra, Aditya Srivastava, Sushant Singh, Dibyendu Bhattacharya.