Controversy Surrounds Netflix’s “IC814: The Kandahar Hijack” Over Terrorist Names, Ministry Summons Content Head
Religious leaders and the public criticize the series for using Hindu names for terrorists, prompting government intervention
Netflix’s web series **”IC814: The Kandahar Hijack”, released on August 29, is facing widespread backlash on social media. The controversy stems from the names of the terrorists in the series: Chief, Doctor, Burger, Bhola, and Shankar. Many, including religious leaders, have raised objections, particularly to the use of “Shankar” and “Bhola,” which are traditionally Hindu names. As the outcry grew, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting summoned Netflix’s content head for questioning.
But what is the full story behind this infamous hijacking, involving an airplane, over 178 passengers, five hijackers, and five countries, that led to the release of Maulana Masood Azhar and two other terrorists? Director Anubhav Sinha’s series delves into this dramatic episode titled “IC814: The Kandahar Hijack.”
The incident dates back 25 years. On December 24, 1999, Indian Airlines flight IC814 took off from Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, Nepal, at 4:30 PM, bound for Delhi. The flight had 178 passengers on board. At around 5:00 PM, as the plane entered Indian airspace, five armed terrorists hijacked the aircraft.
In the series, the terrorists who hijack the plane and take it to Kandahar are named Chief, Doctor, Burger, Bhola, and Shankar. This has sparked criticism on social media, with many accusing the filmmakers of intentionally giving Hindu names to the terrorists, who were, in reality, Muslims.
The Ministry of External Affairs had revealed the real names of the hijackers in a statement on January 6, 2000. The ministry’s statement also noted that the hijackers had used codenames when communicating with each other and with the Indian government during the ordeal.
The real names of the hijackers:
- Ibrahim Athar – Bahawalpur
- Shahid Akhtar Sayed – Gulshan Iqbal, Karachi
- Sunny Ahmed Qazi – Defence Area, Karachi
- Mistry Zahoor Ibrahim – Akhtar Colony, Karachi
- Shakir – Sukkur City
(Source: Ministry of External Affairs’ statement, former External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh’s autobiography “A Call to Honor: In Service of Emerging India,” and Jagran Archive)
