Anubhav Sinha was left in a rage when a journalist questioned him about the controversy surrounding his miniseries IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. Read on to know the details.
Directed by Anubhav Sinha, the six-episode miniseries IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack has been making headlines ever since its release on Netflix on August 29. On Tuesday, September 3, a press conference was held in Mumbai where the cast and crew spoke about the show. It was attended by Vijay Varma, Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Patralekhaa, Dia Mirza, and Anubhav Sinha.
When a Zee News reporter asked Anubhav about the alleged distortion of facts in IC 814: The Kandahar hijackingThe director replied, “Did you watch the series? Is the series okay? Don't watch it, don't watch it. 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 generated controversy on social media and elsewhere, with many claiming that the filmmaker changed the names of the kidnappers to “Shankar” and “Bhola” to supposedly protect terrorists belonging to a particular community. Hashtags like #BoycottNetflix, #BoycottBollywood and #IC814 trended on social media, but many survivors and journalists have come out in support of the series saying that the kidnappers did indeed use the code names that appear in the show. The “aliases” used by the kidnappers in the series are in the public domain, including the official statement by the Union Home Ministry issued on January 6, 2000.
On Tuesday, Netflix India also issued a statement The streaming platform has included the real names of the hijackers in the disclaimer of the series after its chief content officer Monica Shergill met with officials at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting over the ongoing dispute. “For the benefit of audiences who are not familiar with the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814 in 1999, the initial 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.