This week saw the release of the much-anticipated Anubhav Sinha limited series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack on Netflix. The show, which is about the hijacking of the Kathmandu-to-Delhi flight in 1999, turned out to be a well-made spectacle that critics mostly enjoyed and praised. Starring Vijay Varma as the real-life Captain Devi Sharan, the show is a six-episode mini-series. However, it has now run into a controversy, as netizens are demanding a boycott of the show and Netflix. Created by Anubhav Sinha, the show tells the story of the eight days that the IC 814 flight was hijacked by terrorists who demanded the release of some prisoners in exchange for the lives of the hostages. The show is now being criticized for giving the terrorists Hindi names and is being labeled as Hinduphobic. 

IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack Falls In The Controversy Grid

In IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, the terrorists address each other by Hindu names. Two of them are named Bhola and Shankar, which are, of course, their code names, used to conceal their real identities from the passengers on the flight. However, this has not landed well with netizens, who are angry about this and are accusing the show of whitewashing the reality. They are calling it an attempt to present terrorists in a sympathetic light by giving them Hindu names. But there are others defending the show by sharing screenshots that confirm that the real-life hijackers did indeed use these names. Here is everything you need to know about the controversy.

One user wrote, “Can we boycott this Hinduphobic film by Netflix and Anubhav Sinha, which shows IC 814 hijackers named as Bhola and Shankar? Remember how we brought Aamir Khan to his knees by ensuring Laal Singh Chaddha was a super flop? Let’s do the same with this movie and send it to the gutter.” Another user wrote, “#Bollywood has always been a black mark on the nation. Bollywood has never understood our nation’s interests. Bollywood shows India in a bad light. The IC 814 terrorists were Islamic by religion, and in the web series, they were named after Hindus, like Bhola and Shankar.”

Asking Anubhav Sinha a direct question, one user wrote, “Anubhav Sinha, till date, which terrorist has been named Bhola and Shankar? You added Hindu names to Islamic terrorists in your web series! Bollywood used to foster Islamic fundamentalism in disguise, and now this is being done through Netflix and OTT platforms!”

Mukesh Chhabra Defends the Series

Casting director Mukesh Chhabra, who worked on IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, came forward to defend the show. In a tweet clarifying the confusion, he wrote, “I am reading so many tweets about the names of the hijackers. We did proper research. 🫶 They used to call each other by those names—nicknames or fake names, whatever you want to call them. 🫶❤️ And thank you, everyone, for loving the ensemble cast. A big thank you to my team, and especially to Anubhav Sinha for trusting us and giving me the freedom to explore.”

While the controversy surrounding the show continues, fans of the series are hoping that the backlash does not overshadow the carefully crafted narrative that brings to light a significant event in Indian history. Whether the controversy impacts the viewership remains to be seen, but IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack is currently streaming on Netflix and continues to generate discussion across various platforms.

Stay tuned to Mobile Masala for more information on this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.

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