GUWAHATI: Anubhav Sinha’s series IC814: The Kandahar Hijack has sparked controversy for alleged ‘factual distortions.’
A PIL was filed in the Delhi High Court on Monday seeking a ban on OTT series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack over allegations of distortion of facts about the real identities of the hijackers.
In reality, the hijackers were named Ibrahim Athar, Shahid Akhtar Sayed, Sunny, Ahmad Qazi, Zahoor Mistry and Shakir.
However, in the series, these names were changed to names like Bhola, Shankar, Doctor, Burger and Chief. These were the code names used by the terrorists.
The petition filed through Advocate Shashi Ranjan claims that the series distorts the true identities of the hijackers, misleading the public by presenting them with Hindu names.
The petition filed by Surjit Singh Yadav, a farmer and president of Hindu Sena, sought a direction to the Centre and Maharashtra government to cancel the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) certificate and ban the public viewing of the series.
“The distortion of crucial facts about the real identities of the hijackers not only misrepresents historical events but also perpetuates harmful stereotypes and misinformation, warranting interference of this court to prevent further public misunderstanding and potential harm,” reads the petition.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has summoned the content head of Netflix India, seeking an explanation on 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 India on August 29.
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The series is adapted from the book Flight into Fear: The Captain’s Story, co-written by journalist Srinjoy Chowdhury and Captain Devi Sharan, the pilot of the hijacked flight.
It features a star-studded cast, including Vijay Varma, Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Manoj Pahwa, Arvind Swami, Anupam Tripathi, Dia Mirza, Patralekhaa, Amrita Puri, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, and Kumud Mishra in key roles.
