. Netflix India, according to Vice President (Content, India) Monica Shergill, has amended the disclaimer at the start of the online series ‘IC-814 Kandahar Hijack,’ to include the true and code names of the hijackers.
She stated on Tuesday, “The original disclaimer has been modified for the convenience of viewers who are not aware with the 1999 hijacking. The code names used during the incident are now reflected in the series.”
Shergill emphasized Netflix’s commitment to “authentic representation in its storytelling,” highlighting the drama that recounts the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight IC-814 by the Pakistan-based terrorist group Harakat-ul-Mujahideen, has generated a great deal of controversy. After seizing possession of the aircraft, five hijackers carried it to Afghanistan, which at the time was ruled by the Taliban.
- In a dramatic turn of events, three terrorists—Masood Azhar, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, and Mushtaq Zargar—were slated for release in a controversial deal to secure the freedom of 154 hostages. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was prime minister at the time, oversaw this agreement.
“Bhola,” “Shankar,” Disagreement Many social media users accused Anubhav Sinha and Trishant Srivastava, the show’s creators, of renaming two hijackers as “Bhola” and “Shankar” after the show’s premiere. This has drawn criticism for interfering with historical truths, as some argue it distorts the true identity of the terrorists and offends Hindu sensibilities. 
- But in January 2000, the Ministry of Home Affairs disclosed the true identities of the five hijackers: Shakir, Mistry Zahoor Ibrahim, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Shahid Akhtar Saeed, and Ibrahim Athar. The ministry revealed that during the hijacking and hostage crisis, the assailants employed code names to coordinate their communications. Some of the aliases included “Bhola,” “Shankar,” “Chief,” “Doctor,” and “Burger.” Social media posts by journalists covering the hijacking in real time have shown that passengers said the hijackers addressed each other by these names.
Shergill was summoned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in response to the demonstrations sparked by accusations of “playing with Indian sentiments.” According to sources who spoke with NDTV, The administration is approaching the situation “with utmost seriousness,” asserting that “no one has the right to manipulate people’s sentiments.” - Amit Malviya, the head of the BJP’s social media department, blasted the X series, charging that its makers were trying to hide the violent deeds of Pakistani terrorists by giving them Hindu identities.
Opposition figures, however, such as former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Shiv Sena (UBT) member Priyanka Chaturvedi, questioned selective anger and cited historical errors in other recent contentious movies and television shows.
The IC-814 Story on Netflix The IC-814 flight, the incidents in Delhi and Kandahar, and Captain Devi Sharan’s book “Flight into Fear: The Captain’s Story” served as inspiration for Netflix’s series.
