PIL filed in Delhi High Court seeking ban on Netflix series IC814: The Kandahar Hijack over alleged distortion of facts

Anubhav Sinha's series IC814: The Kandahar Hijack has garnered significant praise for its cinematic portrayal but has also sparked controversy for alleged 'factual distortions.'

In reality, the hijackers were named Ibrahim Athar, Shahid Akhtar Sayed, Sunny, Ahmad Qazi, Zahoor Mistry and Shakir. However, in the series, these names were changed to names like Bhola, Shankar, Doctor, Burger and Chief. These were the code names used by the terrorists.

This change has led to accusations of hurting religious sentiments and has drawn severe criticism from various quarters.

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Delhi High Court, seeking a ban on the mini-series.

The petition filed through Advocate Shashi Ranjan claims that the series distorts the true identities of the hijackers, misleading the public by presenting them with Hindu names, "The distortion of crucial facts about the real identities of the hijackers not only misrepresents historical events but also perpetuates harmful stereotypes and misinformation, warranting interference of this court to prevent further public misunderstanding and potential harm," reads the petition.

The PIL, filed by Surjit Singh Yadav, a farmer and president of Hindu Sena, requests the cancellation of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) certificate and a ban on the public viewing of the series.

The petition argues that such misrepresentation not only distorts historical facts but also risks perpetuating harmful stereotypes.

The controversy has escalated to the point where the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has summoned the Content Head of Netflix India.

Official sources said the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has summoned the content head of Netflix India on Tuesday, seeking an explanation on the allegedly contentious aspects of the series portraying the 1999 hijack of an Indian Airlines flight by Pakistan-based terror outfit Harkat-ul-Mujahideen.

Scheduled for September 3, the meeting aims to address the concerns raised about the series' portrayal of the hijackers.

BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar expressed his concern, stating, "I vividly remember IC-814. I was very aware of that accident and very involved in following that. Every man and woman in India and indeed in South Asia knows that the hijack of IC-814 from Kathmandu was committed by Pakistan's ISI-backed terrorists. Now, nobody thinks that there were some people from India who did the hijacking. So how the people have Hindu names in that movie, I don't know. But I'm very happy that the I&B Ministry and the GoI have taken cognizance of this and have summoned Netflix."

BJP's IT cell chief Amit Malviya also criticised the series on social media, saying, "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."

"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 added.

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.Lefts Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) September 1, 2024

Meanwhile in their defence casting director Mukesh Chabra said 'they did proper research.'

"I am reading so many tweets about the names of the hijackers. We did the proper research. They used to call each other by those names—nicknames or fake names, whatever you want to call them. And thank you, everyone, for loving the ensemble cast. A big thank you to my team, and especially to Anubhav Sinha for trusting us and giving me the freedom to explore. #IC814 #Netflix," he wrote on X.

Thank you, everyone, for loving the ensemble cast. A big thank you to my team, and especially to Anubhav Sinha for trusting us and giving me the freedom to explore. #IC814 #Netflix Mukesh Chhabra CSA (@CastingChhabra) September 2, 2024

ALSO READ: 'IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack' faces criticism online for allegedly changing terrorists' identity, casting director Mukesh Chhabra reacts

The series, which was released on Netflix on August 29, is adapted from the book Flight into Fear: The Captain's Story, co-written by journalist Srinjoy Chowdhury and Captain Devi Sharan, the pilot of the hijacked flight.

ALSO READ: Netizens slam ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’ series, says its soft on terror

It features a star-studded 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 key roles.