The recent Netflix show IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack is based on the real events about the hijacking of the Indian Airlines Flight 814 in December 1999. The mini-series, consisting of six episodes, courted controversy with many claiming that it 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 #BoycottIC814 trended on social media.
However, many survivors and journalists came out in support of the show saying that the hijackers did use the code names depicted in the show. The 'aliases' used by the five hijackers in the series - 'Chief', 'Doctor', 'Burger', 'Bhola', and 'Shankar' - have been in public domain, including the Union Home Ministry's official statement issued in January 2000.
Harry Parmar played the terrorist Shahid Akhtar Sayed, who used the alias of 'Doctor' during the hijack. In an exclusive conversation with DNA, the actor opened up about the whole controversy. He said, "These were the codenames. We have the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) accounts. In their files, they also have these details that terrorists used to call each with these names."
The actor, who was last seen in Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan-starrer Laal Singh Chaddha, shared that the intention was never to cause any offence and audiences should look at the show in its entirety. "It is extremely important to balance creative storytelling with factual accuracy, especially dealing with real-life events that have such a profound impact. While artistic choices are made to enhance narrative engagement, it is very crucial to ensure that these choices are respectful to the sensitivities of the people. 'Doctor', the character that I did and the others 'Chief', 'Burger', 'Bhola', and 'Shankar' were part of the real event, and these codenames were incorporated to stay true to the accounts shared by those onboard the flight. I believe the intention was never to cause any offence, but to tell the story in a way that resonates with the audience. It is important for viewers to engage with the show in its entirety and reflect on the broader message it conveys", Harry concluded.
Directed by Anubhav Sinha, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack boasts of a stellar cast including Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Vijay Varma, Arvind Swamy, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Dia Mirza, Amrita Puri, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Aditya Srivastava, Kanwaljit Singh, Rajiv Thakur, Patralekhaa, and Harry Parmar.
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