Netflix: ‘IC 814’ (Kandahar) faces backlash over hijacking details

WEB DESK: The new Netflix mini-series ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack” reignited a furious discussion in India about the 1999 Indian Airlines flight IC 814 hijacking.

The new series stars Indian legend Naseeruddin Shah along with Vijay Varma and Patralekhaa. The Netflix show ‘IC 814’ dramatises the real-life hijacking incident when the Indian aircraft was taken hostage and landed in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

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The Indian government recently alleged that they uncovered a new detail regarding the incident. It claims that a ‘fraudulent’ call impersonating a local government official helped the hijackers escape the Indian city of Amritsar. The alleged false instruction led the Indian airport authorities to remove barricades, allowing the aircraft to leave.

On December 24, 1999, hijackers commandeered Flight IC 814 shortly after it let Kathmandu, Nepal with New Delhi, India as its destination. The aircraft was later diverted to Amritsar where it landed with very little fuel.

In a series of confusing events, the aircraft was refueled and then landed in Dubai, where 27 passengers were released before it finally landed in Kandahar.

There, intense negotiations started with the Indian government that resulted in the release of all hostages in exchange for the release of three people.

The Indian government now claims the plane’s department from Amritsar was facilitated by a fake call that impersonated a lower govemrent official.

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The controversy regarding the Netflix series comes into play, with several Indian netizens finding issue with the portrayal of the hijackers code names, over real names.

Netflix responded by updating the show’s disclaimer to include hijackers’ real names alongside their code names.