Netflix India has updated the opening disclaimer on its web series ‘IC-814 Kandahar Hijack” to include the real and code names of the hijackers, the OTT giant’s country content chief, Monika Shergill, said Tuesday.
“For the benefit of audiences unfamiliar with the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814, the opening disclaimer has been updated… the code names in the series reflect those used during the actual event,” Ms Shergill said, acknowledging also that Netflix is “committed to showcasing (stories from India) with authentic representation”.
A massive row erupted over the Netflix drama this week over the portrayal of the 1999 hijack of an Indian Airlines flight by Pakistan-based terror outfit Harkat-ul-Mujahideen.
The government, then led by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was forced to release three dreaded terrorists — Masood Azhar, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar — from Indian prisons to secure the release of the hostages.
Hundreds of social media users have accused creators of the web series of deliberately changing names of the hijackers to “Bhola” and “Shankar”.
The series, created by Anubhav Sinha and Trishant Srivastava, is inspired by the book ‘Flight Into Fear: The Captain’s Story’ Devi Sharan, captain of the flight, and journalist Srinjoy Chowdhury. It stars Naseeruddin Shah, Vijay Varma and Pankaj Kapur in key roles.
