Netflix Adds To Disclaimer For Indian Series ‘IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack’ After Controversy

Sara Merican and Jesse Whittock
·2 min read
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Netflix has updated the opening disclaimer for Indian series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack after the show sparked controversy in the country.

Released on August 29, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack traces the hijacking of a Kathmandu-Delhi flight in 1999. The flight was taken by hijackers to Taliban-ruled Kandahar to demand the release of militants jailed in India.

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The controversy revolved around the hijackers’ names in the Hindi-language, six-episode series. The hijackers — who are all Pakistani — are depicted calling each other common Hindu names like Shankar and Bhola. Some of the hijackers were also Muslim.

“For the benefit of audiences unfamiliar with the 1999 hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814, the opening disclaimer in India 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,” Netflix said in a statement, in response to the controversy.

The names and code names used in this series reflect the real ones that the hijackers used among themselves during the actual incident, which have already been published and existed in the public domain for more than the last two decades. For example, the code names were cited in the Union Home Minister’s official statement in January 2000. However, that didn’t stop social media users and members of the ruling BJP Party from criticising the filmmakers. Reports suggest the federal government summoned Netflix India execs to discuss the issue.

The streamer also expanded on its existing disclaimer for the series in India, to include the names as well as code names of the terrorists from the hijacking. Netflix added that there are no changes being made to the content of the series.

This isn’t the first time a global streamer has come under fire from the BJP. Amazon execs were arrested over original series Tandav and two scenes dropped from the show over government concerns in 20tktktk, while Deadline revealed last year that Dibakar Banerjee’s Netflix film Tees had been shelved amid concerns from the filmmaker the decision was a political one.

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