Netflix adds real names of Pakistani hijackers to IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack series

The government claims the militants were intentionally given Hindu codenames

Vijay Varma as captain Sharan Dev in IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. Photo: Netflix

Netflix amended the disclaimer of its series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, after complaints from India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and right-wing Hindus for failing to mention the real names of the Pakistani hijackers of an Indian Airlines plane in 1999.

Five Pakistani militants had hijacked an Indian Airlines flight to Delhi that left Nepal on December 24, 1999. They took control of the plane for a week, forcing it to land at various locations, while they negotiated the release of three militants jailed in Indian prisons. The plane's final stop was in Kandahar, Afghanistan, which is where the hostage crisis finally ended, and which inspired the show's title.

The six-episode series faced criticism for using their codenames, “Chief”, “Doctor”, “Burger”, “Bhola” and “Shankar”, the aliases confirmed by the Indian government at the time, instead of their real names Ibrahim Athar, Sunny Ahmed Qazi, Zahoor Ibrahim, Shahid Akhter, and Sayed Shakir.

The show would be updated with the codenames and the real names of the hijackers, Monika Shergill, the content head of Netflix India said on Tuesday, after meeting senior Information and Broadcasting Ministry officials.

“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 codenames of the hijackers,” Ms Shergill said. "The codenames in the series reflect those used during the actual event."

IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack. Photo: Netflix

Hindu Sena, a Hindu right-wing organisation, filed a case in a Delhi court seeking a ban on the series. Amit Malviya, the head of BJP social media said on X that “The hijackers of IC-814 were dreaded terrorists, who acquired aliases to hide their Muslim identities. Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha legitimised their criminal intent by furthering their non-Muslim names. Result? Decades later, people will think Hindus hijacked IC-814.”

Many social media users were also outraged over the series using “Bhola” and “Shankar” for two of the hijackers claiming that the names were used to hide the real identity of the militants.

“A baffling display of hypocrisy, Sinha hasn't only failed to portray real villains but has gone a step further by replacing names with Hindu ones – an act that reeks of a blatant anti-Hindu agenda,” said Ponappa, an X user.

“The government should take action against producers for whitewashing of history and shouldn't allow dangerous propaganda to spread unchecked,” said another user, Vikas.

Netflix India's content head Monika Shergill met the officials of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry over the names of hijackers in the show. AFP

However, survivors of the hijack have supported the show's producers.

“Those weren't their actual names, just aliases. Netflix did not make up the names. The five hijackers were Muslim, but the two had Hindu codenames. This is not made up, Netflix has tried to show the truth,” Rakesh Kataria, a survivor, told local media on Wednesday.

This is not the first time Netflix has been under fire in India, shedding light on what critics say is the growing intolerance in the Indian film and entertainment industry.

The over-the-top or OTT, platform had pulled a film in January starring actress Nayanthara after several Hindu right-wing groups filed cases against the filmmakers, writer, actress, and the head of Netflix for claims of insulting Hindu deity Ram.