The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has summoned Netflix content head on Tuesday over allegations of misrepresentation of facts in the web series 'IC-814: The Kandahar Hijack'.
The summon comes after the series has come under significant criticism from viewers and social media users for its portrayal of historical events.
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Critics, using hashtags like #IC814, #BoycottNetflix, and #BoycottBollywood, have accused the series of intentionally altering the names of the four hijackers. They allege that Anubhav Sinha has distorted facts and turned the series into "propaganda."
What is the controversy about?
In the series, the hijackers are referred to by names such as Chief, Doctor, Burger, Bhola, and Shankar.
Amit Malviya, head of BJP's IT cell chief, condemned this representation, arguing that it misrepresents the hijackers' identities. Malviya stated, "The real hijackers of IC-814 were notorious terrorists who used aliases to obscure their Muslim identities. By assigning them non-Muslim names, Anubhav Sinha has legitimized their criminal acts. This distortion could lead people to incorrectly believe that Hindus were responsible for the hijacking."
The real story of Bhola and Shankar
According to a Home Ministry statement from January 6, 2000, the real names of the hijackers were Ibrahim Athar (Bahawalpur), Shahid Akhtar Sayed (Gulshan Iqbal, Karachi), Sunny Ahmed Qazi (Defence Area, Karachi), Mistri Zahoor Ibrahim (Akhtar Colony, Karachi), and Shakir (Sukkur City).
The statement also confirmed that during the hijacking, passengers knew the hijackers by names such as Chief, Doctor, Burger, Bhola, and Shankar, and these names were used by the hijackers among themselves in the presence of the passengers.
The inspiration behind Netflix series
The Netflix series is inspired by the book "Flight into Fear: The Captain's Story" by journalist Srinjoy Chowdhury and Captain Devi Sharan.
It features a distinguished cast, including Vijay Varma, Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Manoj Pahwa, Arvind Swami, Anupam Tripathi, Dia Mirza, Patralekhaa, Amrita Puri, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, and Kumud Mishra in pivotal roles.
On December 31, 1999, three terrorists were released in exchange for the freedom of the remaining passengers and crew of Indian Airlines Flight 814.
What is the social media saying?
Many on social media have criticised the Information and Broadcasting Ministry's decision to summon the Netflix official.
This included Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaurvedi, who posted, "The RW outrage over a series on IC 814, which I haven’t seen nor endorse, is not as much for the series as it is a reminder of BJP government’s massive failure then, it reminds the nation how the intelligence and government agencies were caught off guard. Much like the Kargil war too."
"... IC 814 is a report card of BJP’s hollow claim of it keeping nation first. It only keeps its politics first," she added.
While some users have claimed censorship by the Narendra Modi government others sought to remind that those who are criticising the use of Hindu names should first read up the facts before commenting.
Take a look at some of the posts.
Published: 02 Sept 2024, 12:42 pm IST
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