The Indian government has summoned Netflix India’s content head amidst a significant controversy over the web series “IC 814.” The series, which depicts the 1999 hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight, has sparked outrage, particularly over the portrayal of the hijackers.
The incident, which took place on December 24, 1999, involved Indian Airlines flight IC 814, which was en route from Kathmandu, Nepal to Delhi, India. With 180 people on board, including passengers and crew, the flight was hijacked, leading to a week-long standoff at Kandahar Airport in Afghanistan.
The hijackers eventually secured the release of three prisoners—Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, Masood Azhar, and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar—in exchange for the hostages. This event has been widely regarded as one of India’s most significant security failures in recent decades.
The web series, directed by Anubhav Sinha, is based on the book Flight Into Fear: The Captain’s Story by Devi Sharan, the flight’s captain, and journalist Srinjoy Chowdhury. The series offers a detailed account of the hijacking, including the hijackers’ actions, which involved the release of 27 passengers in Dubai, the fatal stabbing of one passenger, and injuries inflicted on several others.
The controversy surrounding the series escalated when social media users noticed that the names of the hijackers had been changed to “Bhola” and “Shankar.” This alteration led to accusations that the makers of the series deliberately misrepresented the hijackers, prompting the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry to issue a summons to Netflix India’s content head.
Throughout the series, high-ranking officers from India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) are shown discussing the aftermath of the hijacking. The portrayal suggests that internal discussions took place regarding accountability for the security failure, further fueling the debate over the series’ accuracy and intent.
