Kangana Ranaut on Netflix series IC-814: 'Real life events distorted for sinister motives'
Actress-MP Kangana Ranaut waded into the ongoing controversy over the Netflix OTT series 'IC-814: The Kandahar Hijack', claiming that real life events are being 'distorted' to suit 'politically motivated sinister motives'.
Taking to social media platform X, Kangana said, "Law of the land is that one can show unimaginable amount of violence and nudity on OTT platforms without any consequence or censorship, one can even distort real life events to suit their politically motivated sinister motives, there is all the freedom for communists or leftists across the world for such anti-national expressions but as a nationalist no OTT platform allows us to make films that revolves around the integrity and unity of Bharat, it seems censorship is only for some of us who don't want tukde of this nation and make films on historic facts. It’s hugely demotivating and unjust."
Kangana's post came in response to a post by BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya who slammed filmmaker Anubhav Sinha for legitimising the Indian Airlines aircraft's hijackers' criminal intent by furthering their non-Muslim names.
He said, "The hijackers of IC-814 were dreaded terrorists, who acquired aliases to hide their Muslim identities. Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha, legitimised their criminal intent, by furthering their non-Muslim names. Result? Decades later, people will think Hindus hijacked IC-814. Left’s agenda to whitewash the crimes of Pakistani terrorists, all Muslims, served. This is the power of cinema, which the Communists have been using aggressively, since the 70s. Perhaps even earlier."
"This will not just weaken / put in question India’s security apparatus in the long run, but also shift the blame away from the religious cohort, that is responsible for all the bloodshed," he claimed.
The Truth About Bhola and Shankar
The Netflix series has sparked controversy over the names of the hijackers, particularly Bhola and Shankar, with some accusing the filmmaker of intentionally using Hindu names. However, it's essential to clarify that these names were not arbitrarily assigned, but rather were the codenames used by the hijackers during the incident.
According to the Union Home Ministry's statement on January 6, 2000, the real names of the hijackers were Ibrahim Athar, Shahid Akhtar Sayed, Gulshan Iqbal, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Mistri Zahoor Ibrahim and Shakir
To the passengers on the hijacked plane, the hijackers were known by their codenames: Chief, Doctor, Burger, Bhola, and Shankar. These codenames were used by the hijackers to address each other during the incident.
The Kandahar Hijack Story
On December 24, 1999, IC-814 was hijacked by five terrorists shortly after departing from Kathmandu. The plane, carrying around 180 passengers, was held hostage for seven days, traveling from Kathmandu to Amritsar and then Lahore. After refueling in Lahore, it proceeded to Dubai before reaching Taliban-controlled Kandahar, where all passengers were released on December 31, 2000.
Monika Shergill, Vice President of Content at Netflix India, described "IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack" as a gripping series that delves into one of the longest hijackings in Indian history. She highlighted that the show provides an authentic portrayal of a significant international crisis. Directed by Anubhav Sinha, renowned for his intense and realistic filmmaking, the series not only recounts the events but also immerses viewers in the emotional turmoil of a nation facing fear, hope, and desperation. The combination of powerful storytelling, impressive visual effects, and compelling performances makes it a must-watch.
The cast includes Arvind Swami, Dia Mirza, Pooja Gor, Patralekhaa, Amrita Puri, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Anupam Tripathi, Kanwaljeet Singh, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Sushant Singh, Aditya Srivastava, Rajeev Thakur, and Yashpal Sharma. "IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack" premiered on Netflix on August 29.