Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Amidst the controversy surrounding the Netflix series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, which depicts the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 by the Pakistan-based terror group Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, former chief steward Anil Sharma has criticized the show for including several fictitious scenes. Sharma, who was on board the hijacked aircraft, shared his concerns about the series’ accuracy in an interview on Tuesday.
Following the release of the series, social media users criticized creators Anubhav Sinha and Trishant Srivastava for altering the names of two hijackers to ‘Bhola’ and ‘Shankar,’ arguing that this change was offensive to Hindu sentiments.
Speaking to IANS about the controversy, Sharma confirmed that the names ‘Bhola’ and ‘Shankar’ are imaginary and do not reflect the actual names of the hijackers. “That [the actual identities] should have been highlighted. The intent of the makers of the web series did not seem good to me,” Sharma said. He also dismissed some of the dramatic events depicted in the show, stating, “No crew member was injured or stabbed. The hijackers also never slapped any air hostess.”
Sharma recalled the gravity of the situation only becoming clear to him after he and a colleague were asked to manage a deceased passenger’s body at Dubai airport, a victim of the hijackers’ violence. “A lot of things have happened… and my remarks are not going to change anything,” he reflected.
While noting that it is easy to criticize then External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh for his role during the crisis, Sharma acknowledged that Singh’s visit to Kandahar “made a positive impact.” However, he also lamented the release of three terrorists in exchange for the hostages, which he said led to numerous terrorist attacks in India involving Pakistani elements.
Sharma suggested that a decision-making body should be established to review certain controversial scenes to prevent any provocation. While he stopped short of directly condemning the web series creators, he emphasized that not everything should be measured by profit and that creators should be mindful of their conscience, acknowledging when “something wrong is being done.”
Facing backlash, Netflix India updated the series’ opening disclaimer to include both the real names and code names of the hijackers. Monika Shergill, Vice President of Content at Netflix India, stated, “For the benefit of audiences unfamiliar with the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814, the opening disclaimer has been updated to include the real and code names of the hijackers. The code names in the series reflect those used during the actual event.”
The infamous hijacking took place on December 24, 1999, when five hijackers seized control of an Indian Airlines flight en route from Kathmandu to Delhi, diverting it to Kandahar, Afghanistan, after stops in Amritsar, Lahore, and Dubai. To secure the release of 154 hostages, the Indian government was compelled to release three terrorists: Masood Azhar, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, and Mushtaq Zargar.
In January 2000, the Union Home Ministry revealed the real names of the hijackers: Ibrahim Athar, Shahid Akhtar Sayed, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Mistri Zahoor Ibrahim, and Shakir. The ministry also disclosed that the hijackers had used code names such as ‘Bhola’, ‘Shankar’, ‘Chief’, ‘Doctor’, and ‘Burger’ during the hijacking.
