Whereas director Anubhav Sinha’s crime thriller drama miniseries IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, primarily based on the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814, acquired vital acclaim, it additionally sparked controversy after some viewers accused the collection of deliberately misrepresenting the spiritual identities of the 5 terrorists concerned within the incident.
Even BJP chief Amit Malviya criticised the series on X (previously Twitter), claiming that by assigning “non-Muslim” aliases to the hijackers, the makers had ensured that viewers would “suppose Hindus hijacked IC-814”. Nonetheless, an announcement from the Residence Ministry dated January 6, 2000, obtainable on the Ministry of Exterior Affairs web site, confirms that the code names used within the collection had been the precise ones employed by the terrorists from the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen group.
Pooja Pillai writes | ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’ controversy: When a culture is hijacked by the permanently offended
Not too long ago, Anubhav Sinha himself addressed the controversies and allegations of whitewashing the position of the Inter-Providers Intelligence (ISI), the most important element of Pakistan’s intelligence neighborhood. In an interview with India At present, he was questioned a few scene the place former Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden hosts a celebration for the hijackers with none ISI operatives current and requested whether or not the collection was giving a clear chit to the spy company. The interviewer primarily based this query by mentioning that Nationwide Safety Advisor Ajit Doval has repeatedly emphasised ISI’s involvement. Sinha responded that the occasions depicted within the present had been correct, stating, “That basically occurred.” He additionally reminded the interviewer that the present was primarily based on intensive analysis and requested why that analysis couldn’t be revered.
“A really critical quantity of analysis has gone into it. Additionally, on the finish of the day, it’s a dramatic narration of an occasion. I’m not writing historical past. If any person has to seek advice from the Kandahar hijack, you gained’t seek advice from this collection, however different paperwork and supply supplies as a substitute. You don’t go after movies for historic references. Movies get away with only a disclaimer saying ‘all of the characters are fictional’. There are a number of issues within the present that go across the info as a result of there are not any info obtainable. So, you dramatise it to place it collectively,” he defined.
Watch IC 814 The Kandahar Hijack trailer right here:
He additional clarified that the present’s portrayal of ISI involvement in Kathmandu aligns with the precise occasions and that the collection doesn’t try to offer the company any clear chit. “The collection isn’t attempting to be historical past. I had the rights to make use of the captain’s identify, however I didn’t. I modified even his identify. It’s a recent tackle what occurred. When a conspiracy of this sort is executed, there are a number of issues which have clear solutions; there would solely be variations,” Sinha added.