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The series director, Anubhav Sinha, stands accused by the Centre of “normalising a crime against the nation masterminded and facilitated by Pakistan’s ISI”. (Photo Credits: Instagram)
Netflix’s latest series, “IC-814: The Kandahar Hijack,” faces backlash for its portrayal of hijackers
A two-member team from Netflix is set to meet with the Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) on Tuesday amid a row surrounding the streaming platform’s latest series, IC-814: The Kandahar Hijack.
The series, which dramatises the 1999 hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight, has faced backlash due to its portrayal of the hijackers, particularly the use of names that some critics argue misrepresent the terrorists’ identities.
The I&B Ministry summoned Netflix’s content head, Monika Shergill, following accusations that the series insensitively altered the names of the hijackers to include “Bhola” and “Shankar.” Critics, including political leaders and social media users, have expressed outrage, claiming that this portrayal could distort historical facts and hurt religious sentiments.
Earlier, the central government had summoned the content head of OTT platform Netflix over the series, which has triggered a row over the depiction of hijackers, contending that nobody has the right to play with the sentiments of the nation.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting reportedly wants an explanation of the allegedly contentious aspects of the series portraying the 1999 hijack of an Indian Airlines flight by Pakistan-based terror outfit Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. The series, directed by Anubhav Sinha, was released on Netflix on August 29.