Directed by Anubhav Sinha, the six episodic mini-series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack has been maing headlines since its release on Netflix on August 29. On Tuesday, September 3, a press conference was held in Mumbai where the cast and the crew talked about the show. It was attended by Vijay Varma, Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Patralekhaa, Dia Mirza, and Anubhav Sinha.
Now, a video from the press conference is going viral across the internet. In the clip shared by the celebrity paparazzo Viral Bhayani on his Instagram account, the Mulk director is seen getting angry over a journalist questioning him about the ongoing controversy around the show.
When a Zee News journalist asked Anubhav about the alleged distortion of facts in IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, the director replied, "Aapne series dekha hain? Series dekhiye. Baat nahi kar sakta aapse, aapne series nahi dekhi. (Did you watch the series? Watch it first. I can’t talk to you because you haven’t watched it)." The press conference ended after this incident.
The series has courted controversy on social media and elsewhere with many claiming that the filmmaker changed the names of the hijackers to 'Shankar' and 'Bhola' to allegedly protect the terrorists who belonged to a certain community. Hashtags such as #BoycottNetflix, #BoycottBollywood and #IC814 trended on social media but many survivors and journalists have come out in support of the series saying that the hijackers did use the code names depicted in the show. The 'aliases' used by the hijackers in the series have been in public domain, including the Union Home Ministry's official statement issued on January 6, 2000.
On Tuesday, Netflix India also issued a statement after its content head Monica Shergill met the Information and Broadcasting Ministry officials over the ongoing row. The streaming platform has now included the real names of the hijackers in the series' disclaimer. "For the benefit of audiences unfamiliar with the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814, the opening disclaimer has been updated to include the real and code names of the hijackers. The code names in the series reflect those used during the actual event. India has a rich culture of storytelling — and we are committed to showcasing these stories and their authentic representation", the statement read.
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