Centre summons Netflix head over 'IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack' controversy

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India summoned the content head of Netflix to Delhi on September 2 amid online backlash over the series 'IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack', according to India Today.

A controversy has erupted on social media over the web series for allegedly altering the names of two hijackers to Hindu names in the show which dramatises the infamous 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814.

Based on the real-life hijacking, IC 814 chronicles the harrowing experience of hundreds of passengers as the flight was diverted to multiple locations before ending up in Taliban-controlled Kandahar, Afghanistan.

The hijackers in the series are depicted with the codenames Chief, Doctor, Burger, Bhola, and Shankar. However, the use of the names Bhola and Shankar has drawn criticism, with some accusing the filmmakers of deliberately choosing Hindu names, thereby misrepresenting the facts and potentially inciting religious tensions.

The controversy has ignited a heated debate online, with critics targeting the series' director, Anubhav Sinha, for allegedly distorting facts.

The series is adapted from the book "Flight into Fear: The Captain's Story," written by journalist Srinjoy Chowdhury and Devi Sharan, the captain of the hijacked flight.

'IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack' has come under intense scrutiny as viewers and critics alike weigh in on the portrayal of one of India's most alarming aviation crises.