Netflix India Head Summoned Over ‘IC 814’ Controversy

The Indian government has summoned Netflix India’s content head, Monika Shergill, in response to growing backlash over the streaming platform’s series, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has directed Shergill to appear in Delhi on Tuesday, September 2, 2024, to address concerns about the series’ portrayal of the 1999 Indian Airlines Flight 814 hijacking.

The series, which dramatizes the infamous hijacking by the Pakistan-based terror group Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, has sparked controversy due to its depiction of hijackers using Hindu codenames. Critics argue that the show, which is based on the real-life hijacking, inaccurately portrays the terrorists by using names like Bhola and Shankar, suggesting these were Hindu aliases. This portrayal has led to significant outrage on social media, with accusations that the series misrepresents the identities of the hijackers, who were Muslim terrorists.

The show is adapted from the book Flight into Fear: The Captain’s Story by journalist Srinjoy Chowdhury and Devi Sharan, the captain of the hijacked flight. It features an ensemble cast including Vijay Varma, Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Manoj Pahwa, Arvind Swami, Anupam Tripathi, Dia Mirza, Patralekhaa, Amrita Puri, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, and Kumud Mishra.

Political figures have weighed in on the controversy. BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya criticized the series for allegedly legitimizing the hijackers’ criminal intent by using non-Muslim names. Malviya argued that this misrepresentation could lead to misconceptions about the hijackers’ identities in the future.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah responded with skepticism, noting the irony of those who accepted films like Kashmir Files as factual now demanding accuracy in the depiction of the IC 814 events.

As the debate intensifies, Netflix India faces scrutiny over its portrayal of one of India’s most notorious aviation crises. The government’s involvement underscores the sensitive nature of historical representation in media and its impact on public perception.

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