The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has summoned Netflix's content head in response to controversy surrounding the streaming service's new series, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 3.

The series, directed by Anubhav Sinha, dramatizes the 1999 hijacking of an Indian passenger plane. The plane was taken over by terrorists who demanded the release of militants in exchange for the safe return of the passengers.

Following the release of the series, viewers have raised concerns about alterations made to the names of the hijackers. While the real-life hijackers were identified as Muslims, their names have been changed in the show, sparking significant backlash.

IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack recounts the longest hijacking in Indian aviation history. The drama unfolds as a passenger flight, seized by five terrorists, is rerouted multiple times and ultimately lands in Taliban-controlled territory, causing a major international crisis. Directed by Anubhav Sinha and based on the book Flight into Fear: A Captain’s Story, the series features performances by Vijay Varma, Naseeruddin Shah, and Pankaj Kapur.

Anubhav Sinha's latest web series, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack Story, which debuted on Netflix on August 29, is facing backlash for allegedly renaming two hijackers with Hindu names—Bhola and Shankar.

The series dramatizes the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814. The flight was traveling from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu to Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi when it was diverted to several locations before finally landing in Taliban-controlled Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Critics have voiced their discontent on social media, accusing Sinha of deliberately using Hindu names for the hijackers rather than their actual names. Although other characters in the series are identified by titles like chief, doctor, and burger, the choice to use Bhola and Shankar has generated significant controversy.

This issue underscores broader debates about accuracy and representation in portrayals of real-life events. Some claim that the series misrepresents facts and could potentially inflame religious tensions.

A statement from the Union Home Ministry on January 6, 2000, identified the hijackers as Ibrahim Athar, Shahid Akhtar Sayed, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Mistri Zahoor Ibrahim, and Shakir. During the hijacking, however, the hijackers used codenames such as Chief, Doctor, Burger, Bhola, and Shankar.

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