Vijay Varma's IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack - Who is the unsung hero Captain Devi Sharan?

IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, Netflix’s latest Hindi thriller series, was finally released on August 29. While the series has been praised by critics and audience, alike, many may not be familiar with the real-life unsung hero behind the horrifying hijack incident, Captain Devi Sharan. The titular role is brought to life by actor Vijay Varma, whose stellar performance has already amazed the viewers. The six-episode series is based on Sharan’s book Flight Into Fear.

Who is Captain Devi Sharan?

Captain Devi Sharan was the pilot of flight IC 814 from Kathmandu to New Delhi on Christmas Eve in the year 1999. According to reports, a group of newly married couples, who were travelling for their honeymoons, some tourists, and businessmen were among the passengers on the plane. He had planned a vacation with his family after this flight, but fate had some other plans.

The plane IC 814 got hijacked by five masked men, and the one-hundred-eighty-eight passengers and the crew members, all were thrust into a tense and deadly ordeal. It lasted for seven days straight, making it the longest hijack incident in Indian history.

ALSO READ: Vijay Varma says, ‘I was scared to the place where I didn't post pictures of my family’ after playing problematic men | Exclusive 

Captain Devi Sharan’s revelations about the hijack

According to Sharan’s book, Flight Into Fear, the captain revealed that the most terrifying moment in his life was when the Lahore Air Traffic Control (ATC) refused to help his urgent plea for an emergency landing. Not only that, but they also even switched off all the emergency lights. With the plane dangerously low on fuel and the clock ticking down, Captain Sharan was faced with the most agonizing decision in his life, which was a crash landing to prevent the more horrific potential disaster.

How did the plane IC 814 was rescued?

Following Dubai International Airport’s refusal to grant landing permission, the hijacked plane IC 814 was diverted to Al Minhad Air Base. There, the plane released 27 passengers, including a critically injured 25-year-old man named Rupin Katyal, who has sustained multiple stab wounds at the hands of the terrorists.

Among those one-hundred-eighty-eight passengers, only Rupin Katyal did not survive this heinous incident, and was killed by five terrorists.

Netflix's IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack series

Apart from Vijay Varma, the series stars Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Amrita Puri, Arvind Swamy, Manoj Pahwa, Patralekhaa, Kumud Mishra, and Pooja Gor.

The whole series is high on high-stake dramas and thrills. While exploring the real events with a sprinkle of fiction, the IC814: The Kandahar Hijack showed what exactly happened inside the plane, how the passengers were treated, how it got hijacked, and finally how it got rescued.

ALSO READ: IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack - Vijay Varma juggles between duty, responsibility, and getting everyone home safe | Watch