Indian media reports,Netflix India’s Head of Content has been summoned by the government amid controversy over the web series ‘IC 814’, which dramatizes the 1999 hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight.
The series, which explores the high-stakes hijacking of Flight IC 814, delves into the critical security failure that led to the release of three prisoners—Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, Masood Azhar, and Mushtaq Ahmed Zargar—in exchange for Indian passengers held hostage at Kandahar Airport, Afghanistan. This incident highlighted significant lapses in India’s security measures.
The summons from the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry follows backlash from social media users who accuse the series of inaccurately portraying the hijackers by renaming them “Bhola” and “Shankar”.
Directed by Anubhav Sinha and inspired by the book ‘Flight Into Fear: The Captain’s Story’ by Devi Sharan and journalist Srinjoy Chowdhury, the series offers a comprehensive view of the hijacking. The series depicts the hijackers’ release of 27 of the 176 passengers in Dubai, during a week-long ordeal that included a fatal stabbing and numerous injuries.
The Netflix series portrays discussions among high-ranking officials from India’s RAW and the Ministry of External Affairs about the aftermath of the hijacking, reflecting on the substantial security failure it represented.