PremiumIC 814 The Kandahar Hijack: Netflix promises to be 'sensitive' towards nation's sentiments, review content
IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack has been facing controversy for changing hijackers' characters into Hindu names. The series is currently streaming on Netflix.
IC 814 The Kandahar Hijack
Last Updated: 05.32 PM, Sep 03, 2024
Vijay Varma starrer web series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack has been facing criticism and controversy for changing the names of terrorists who hijacked the Indian Airlines flight from Kathmandu to Delhi in December 1999. Regarding this, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has summoned Netflix India's Head of Content amid a row over the series. A recent update suggests that the streaming platform promised to review content to not hurt national sentiments in future.
Netflix responds to IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack controversy
Netflix India Content Head, Monika Shergill, met the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, on Tuesday (September 3) regarding the controversy surrounding Vijay Varma's recently-released web series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. Shergill was summoned at Shastri Bhawan given certain contentious issues on the web series based on the Hijacking of IC-814.
Amid the ongoing controversy, Netflix has promised that they will review their future content so that it does not hurt national sentiments. "Netflix has assured to conduct a content review and guarantee that all future content on their platform will be sensitive to and in accordance with the nation's sentiments as well as children's sensitivity," government sources said.
According to media reports, Netflix also stated that the age-appropriateness and national security concerns will be addressed and they will provide updates on how the company plans to address the concerns.
'Nobody has the right to play with the sentiments of the people of this nation,' Goverment sources state
Meanwhile, ANI quoted government sources saying, "Nobody has the right to play with the sentiments of the people of this nation. India’s culture and civilization should always be respected. You should think before portraying something in a wrong manner. The government is taking it very seriously."
The sources also mentioned that the portrayal of events during the hijacking of Indian Airlines flight IC 814 from Kathmandu to Kandahar in a recent OTT series is far from the truth. The script and characterization of the actors in the series is an attempt to erase the events and replace them with stories to normalize the crimes against the nation planned and facilitated by Pakistan's ISI.
More about IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack
Five persons who hijacked the aircraft were Ibrahim Athar, Shahid Akhtar Sayed, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Mistri Zahoor Ibrahim, and Shakir. However, the series used Hindu names like ‘Shankar’ and ‘Bhola,’ and names such as ‘Chief,' ‘Doctor’, and ‘Burger.’
On the other hand, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) had been filed in the Delhi High Court by Surjit Singh Yadav, Chief of Hindu Sena, seeking a ban on IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack.